Seven Years in the Nineties
by Mimi1239
Summary: Ever since her godfather, Shawn Hunter moved in across the hall, twelve year old Riley Matthews has been feeling neglected by her parents. What happens when a blizzard causes Riley and Maya to go back in time to 1993 and accidentally bump into young Cory, Shawn, and Topanga? Will they affect the future? What if they never want to go back? Read full summary inside!
1. The Makeup

Seven Years in the Nineties

**Hi to all BMW/GMW fans! I am new to writing for this site but I have been reading fanfictions for years now! This is my very first time publishing a story. This story is called "Seven Years in the Nineties". The idea first came to me last month. I saw that there wasn't a fanfic really like this one so I decided to make one myself. If you're a really big Boy Meets World fan, you can probably catch some similarities and situations from the present that have happened in the original series. There are sort of like hints so if you can catch any and you want to share them, just list them in a review. There's even one reference in the title, see if you can figure it out! If you really want me to continue this story, please let me know by reviewing. I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

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Summary: Ever since her godfather and English teacher, Shawn Hunter moved in across the hall, twelve year old Riley Matthews has been feeling neglected by her parents. Katie Hart has finally gotten her big break in the acting world which causes the biggest issue that Katie and Maya could ever face and Shawn decides to get involved. What happens when a snow storm causes Riley and Maya to go back in time to 1993 and accidentally run into young Cory, Shawn and Topanga? Will they affect the future? Will they realize their world is not so different from the nineties? What if they can never go back? What if they never _want_ to go back? A coming of age story of how one wrong turn can turn someone's world upside down and change their life forever. Read if you enjoy fanfictions with BMW/GMW together!

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Prologue: Riley's Point of View

_I was twelve years old the first time I met my godfather, Shawn Hunter when he came home to visit for Christmas. He decided to stay permanently in New York and move in across the hall from our brownstone apartment. Because my father, Cory Matthews, Shawn's best friend, gave Shawn a key to our apartment, Shawn began coming in early in the morning to talk to my parents about the good 'ole days which apparently happened in the nineties. Their generation. They talked about high school and college. I never understood that. It happened more than twenty years ago! So I guess what I am trying to say is that ever since Shawn Hunter moved in across the hall, my life has changed forever. I just didn't know how much until it happened. I am a little older and a little wiser since it all happened after all. Shawn once told us that he would write a story about us someday because he thought we lived interesting lives. I guess I beat him to it this time; so here is my story..._

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_**Friday, February 13th, 2015, New York City**_

_**Present day, 6:45 A.M**_

I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock and the loud laughing of my parents. I smelled coffee and pancakes. The only reason why my parents would be up this early in the morning was because Shawn was over. That didn't surprise me anymore. For the past month and a half I tried to be optimistic about Shawn moving in next door, but how could I when all my parents did was talk about the legendary Shawn Hunter? I guess the problem wasn't so much Shawn but the way my parents ignored me every time I tried to talk to them.

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes as I got out of my warm bed. The coldness hit my skin as I got near my bay window. When I pushed away my bright curtains, the window revealed snow. Snow was everywhere. I could see small figures on the sidewalk trying to cross the New York streets. People who were covered up head to toe that tried to get by the snow storm. _Thank god it's Friday_, I thought to myself. Tomorrow would be Valentine's Day and I wanted to look really nice because I wanted Lucas Friar, a boy from my class, to ask me to be his Valentine today. He was my first crush. I met him on the subway way back in September with Maya, my best friend. Ever since then, I hoped he liked me too.

I walked to my bathroom and looked in the mirror. My face and hair looked like they'd both been in a train wreck. It happened a lot. I picked up my tooth brush, spread toothpaste on it and brushed my teeth. Sometimes it was hard for me to look in the mirror. I didn't know why. Perhaps it was because I was just beginning to get pimples on my face and it was pretty embarrassing. Mom and Dad have told me it was normal for that to happen. It meant that my body was _changing _and that pretty soon, I had to learn a lot of stuff that I didn't know before. It was mostly Mom who said this stuff, because Dad always tried to avoid talking to me about puberty and my changing body. But anyway, I guess it was true what my parents said about the changes, but I didn't understand why Maya looked like she never got any pimples. Overall, I thought Lucas and Maya had the most perfect skin and flawless hair. Farkle, my other best friend... well, he was just Farkle.

Once I finished brushing my teeth and was in my bedroom, I put on a long-sleeved white shirt with a green sweater that had white snow flakes on it. It was my favorite sweater for winter. I put on dark blue jeans with double socks and brown snow boots. I could barely bring myself to look at myself in my bedroom mirror as I combed my long brown hair. By the time I got out most of the tangles in my hair, I heard Maya come through the main door.

"Hey losers!" She called out to my parents in a joking manner. "Hey Hunter." She called out to Shawn.

I could hear Auggie was up too, though he didn't have to be at school till 8:15. "Hey Maya." I heard him say in unison with everybody else.

"Where's Riley?" I heard Maya ask.

"She must still be in her room getting ready." My mom, Topanga Matthews said. "Maya, breakfast."

"No thanks Mrs. Matthews-"

"As always, I wasn't asking."

"Maya, come here. Shawn and I want to show you something." My Dad said. His voice sounded happy and excited. I guess that's where I got my peppiness from.

Despite me still being twelve but turning thirteen soon and my parents prohibiting me from wearing makeup, I decided to take my chances today and sneak some mascara, powder and lip gloss in my backpack simply because I wanted to impress Lucas. I didn't want him to see that I was beginning to get pimples on my face. How unattractive. Maya secretly got me the mascara last year after I asked my parents if I could wear some. They obviously said no. Mom told me she didn't begin to wear makeup until she was almost sixteen. Then she told me this really long story about how looks don't matter and how when she was in high school, she chopped off most of her waist-length hair making it uneven in an attempt to show my dad that looks didn't matter. Then apparently she realized she was wrong and she got this new makeover and began to wear makeup. The message and moral of the story was really confusing to me. I guess I should have been there to understand it.

I forced myself to look in my mirror one last time, then I flung my backpack over my shoulder as I walked out into the kitchen. The smell of fresh pancakes hit me even harder than it did before. Everybody was already eating breakfast. I looked at the time: 7:10 A.M. I forced a smile on my face.

"Good morning early birds!" I said using my usual cheerful voice. Everybody was preoccupied in a conversation before I said anything. As if they haven't seen each other in _years_. The talking was getting louder. Maya looked up at me and smiled.

Over all of the loud voices, I managed to hear her say, "Hey Riles, you're up! You're parents and Shawn were telling me about this one time when they were in high school and they dressed up as girls to write a school article. Isn't that awesome?" She smiled wide. How could she be so happy about something like that? It was as if we switched roles and now I was acting the way Maya Hart would. How could knowing that your Dad and his best friend dressed up as girls in high school be so exciting? It was so embarrassing! But I couldn't say that. It would bring everybody's moods down and I would never do that.

I kept the fake smile on my face. "That's hilarious!" I faked a laugh. I turned my attention to my mom. "Mom where are my pancakes?" Mom stopped for a brief moment from talking to Shawn and Dad. She didn't even look at me when she said, "On the pan, sweetie."

I took out a plate and put a pancake on my plate. Then I realized the breakfast table was really full. Dad was sitting at the head of the table. Mom was sitting next to him on his right and Shawn was sitting next to him on his left. Beside Mom was Auggie. Beside Shawn was Maya. I took a deep breath as I sat down opposite to Dad but thankfully, next to Maya.

I placed my backpack next to me and focused my attention to my best friend. "We should really get going Maya, we wouldn't want to miss the subway." Maya took the last bite out of her pancake as I poured syrup on mine.

She shook her head. "Relax Riles. It's freezing outside. No way is your dad going to let us go to school in this weather."

Suddenly dad got up from his seat with his empty plate. When he saw me it was like he didn't even know I was already there and said, "Oh, hey honey. You're still going to school in this weather." Maya groaned and rolled her eyes.

Ever since I met her, Maya hated going to school. I wasn't sure if it was because of her life at home or because of her rebellious mind. It was a combination of both of them, I supposed.

Maya whispered at me, "I was wrong." She paused for a second and suddenly it looked like a light bulb went off in her head. "Why don't we get Shawn to write us a note?" Oh, have I forgotten to mention that Shawn was also teaching at John Quincy Adams? If you think having my dad as my History teacher be bad enough, having Shawn _and _my dad both be my teachers was even worse. Shawn was the new English teacher. Wanna take a wild guess on who got him the job?

I shook my head. "He's never going to do that."

"I'll take that challenge." Maya smirked mischievously. "Hey Shawn," she elbowed him. "The weather's pretty bad outside. Mind writing us a note just in case we're late?"

Shawn stopped talking to my parents and turned to look from Maya to me and chuckled. "I used that same trick on my English teacher when I used to live with him. You know what he said?" He was looking directly at me.

"No way." I said before he could say it.

"Oh, I told you that already?"

"Sorta." I responded feeling a little bad that I took away his thunder.

"So you used to live with your English teacher?" Maya raised an eyebrow and crunched her nose.

"Yes." Dad jumped into the conversation. In all his giddiness and excitement, I sincerely loved my dad. He had to be tougher on me than Auggie because Dad was my teacher, and I was supposed to be the more responsible one.

Shawn pulled out a black photo album and flipped through a few pages. The black album was something that Shawn carried around with him and he would pull it out whenever someone would ask a question about the past. Strangely, to me it seemed like he had a lot of pictures of almost every place and person he ever knew.

"This is Mr. Turner." He pointed at a school picture of a man in his early thirties with curly hair, a dress shirt and a tie with a smile on his face. Below it was another picture of the same man but with a teenage Shawn smiling at the camera. They were sitting on a couch in a comfy apartment, it seemed.

"Hey, you shaved!" Maya joked. She was referring to the picture. Now that Shawn was in his early thirties, he wore a beard. It was strange to see an old picture of him without a beard.

Shawn titled his head up and touched his chin. "I like this look. Makes me look like a writer."

"But you weren't always a writer Shawn." Mom added.

"What were you, Uncle Shawn?" Auggie asked curiously.

Shawn hesitated before he said, "I was the bad boy of the school. Always getting into trouble. I grew up in a trailer park before my half brother Jack invited me to live in his apartment."

"I think growing up in a trailer park is cool." Maya said. I knew she sincerely meant it. For some reason, Dad and I had the same taste in friends. I was aware that Maya and Shawn had a better bond than I did with Shawn and I tried not to let that bother me.

"Trust me, it wasn't. But I like to think that I turned out okay. Your mom and dad are the best people." Shawn said looking at me and Auggie.

"You must have gotten all of the girls in high school, right?" Maya observed flipping through some of the photos. Shawn chuckled.

"He was the coolest guy in school!" Dad said enthusiastically.

"But there was only one person I ever loved. Her name was Angela." A dark shadow seemed to overcast Shawn's face (metaphorically speaking). I saw the same look on my parent's faces. I couldn't stand to see them like this.

"I think we should go now." I said getting up and dragging Maya to the front door.

"Wait up, I can drive you two if you want." Shawn suggested getting up from his seat.

"It's alright. We'll just take the subway." I said grabbing my tan trench coat and dragged Maya outside the door.

When we were already at the front door of the building, Maya said, "Riles, why'd you do that for? Haven't you noticed there's a snow storm outside!" She waved her hands in the air.

I smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, it''s just I thought the subway would be safer." I guess that made sense, though I regretted it a little when we walked outside. The subway was just a block away and we managed to make it there in two minutes. I was a big klutz so I was surprised that I managed to only slip three times during that walk.

When we arrived at school, it was 7:50 A.M. Class started at 8:00 A.M. Maya and I got to our lockers and got our books out.

"Who was that the women Shawn was talking about anyway?" Maya asked me in a curious tone. "An old fling or something?"

"Angela? I guess so." I shrugged. I never tried to listen in on what Shawn and my parents talked about but it happened sometimes. A lady named Angela Moore was always one of their topic discussions. She apparently went to the same school as my parents and Shawn did and moved away to Italy when they were in college. It was all I knew about her anyway.

"Maya," I said cautiously and carefully trying to change the subject, "did you do the homework?"

She groaned. "You know me Riles. When do I ever do my homework?"

I pulled out a textbook from my locker and said, "Well, if you were wondering where your books are, they're right here." I handed it to her. Inside was her homework completed by me.

She smiled genuinely at me. "Thanks Riley. I'll really try not to sleep in class this time." And I could tell she really meant it.

"You better." I said jokingly and pushed her into my dad's classroom. Before I could go in too, I remembered the makeup. I grabbed the mascara and applied some while looking in my locker mirror. Then I grabbed the lip gloss and spread some on my lips. I took out the container and small brush. My final touch. I powdered most of my face. _If I had an older sister, I bet she would help me with this problem and perhaps then I wouldn't have to hide it from my parents, _I thought to myself. I gained up the courage to look at myself in my locker mirror. For the first time in what seemed to be an eternity, I liked what I saw. I looked different. I looked beautiful. My eyelashes looked longer. My lips looked fuller and brighter. My skin, spotless and lighter. I smiled to myself, for the first time today, for real.

Just as I closed my locker, Lucas passed by me. He stopped in his tracks and walked up to me. _Oh my gosh._

"Hi." He smiled his gorgeous smile.

"Hi." I smiled back, feeling a little dazed.

"You look different. I like it." He was complimenting _me!_

"Thanks." I said and laughed this weird laugh. It wasn't like a giggle but a creepy and nervous laugh all mixed up in one. I stopped, covered my mouth, and felt myself go red. Lucas didn't seem to notice as he was looking in my eyes.

"I was wondering, you know, because tomorrow is Valentine's Day and all, that you'd like to go out with me tomorrow?" He said nervously fidgeting with his notebook which he carried in his hand. He suddenly looked down. Why was he so nervous? _I_ was supposed to be the one who was nervous!

"Sure. I'd really like that." I said trying not to lose my cool. I wanted to scream and dance inside, but I would not lose my cool. Lucas and I walked into my dad's history class. Dad was already there sitting at his desk doing some work. Seconds later the bell rang and I sat next to Maya at the front. Sometimes, Maya tried to get me to sit at the back with her, but I wanted to be a good student. Besides, Dad never let me. I once asked him if Shawn ever influenced him into doing bad things, and he sort of looked at me funny. He said he rarely did.

"Okay class," Dad began to say before he suddenly stopped. He stood up and looked at me. He looked puzzled. He came near my face and looked at me really closely. He gave me a disappointed look. _Oh, __no._

"Are you wearing makeup, Riley?" I looked around the class to see everybody staring at me. Even my friends. Maya, Farkle, and then...Lucas. I guess I didn't fully plan out my scheme so that Dad wouldn't catch me. I later realized it wouldn't have worked anyway.

I looked at Maya while I started to panic. My dad, who was also my teacher, caught me wearing makeup in class. How could this get any more embarrassing?

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**Author's Note: Sorry to end in a cliff-hanger. Tell me what you think so far. I will try to update this story every Sunday so you can look forward to this story being updated at least once a week! This chapter was inspired because a few days ago I had my first encounter with trying on mascara and powder for picture day. Since I will be updating after every episode of Girl Meets World premieres (which is on Friday), if by the time I update and you want to give your opinion on each episode, you can send me a message or do it in a review. By the way, each chapter will alternate from Riley's point of view to Maya's. Till next week!**

**Quote of the week:**

"When you're in a relationship, you don't doubt first. You trust first."** -Cory Matthews**

**-Mimi1239**


	2. Aren't You Proud of Me?

**Hello again! I hope that those who have read the first chapter have liked it so far. As I said last week, I will be updating every Sunday so watch out for new posts. I want to give a special thanks to everybody who has reviewed, followed, and favorited my story so far. It always puts a smile on my face when I read the reviews and see how many people are enjoying my story so far. It just makes me look forward to this even more. And trust me, there is a lot more to come! So last week, Riley got caught wearing makeup when her parents told her not to. This week, it's Maya's point of view, and something big happens to her. After this chapter, everything starts getting crazy! I couldn't wait to write this chapter so I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did when I wrote it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

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Maya's Point of View

_**Friday, February 13th, 2015, New York City**_

_**Present day, 7:10 A.M**_

I couldn't wait to get to the Matthews' apartment this morning. Shawn and Mr. Matthews were the life of the party. I noticed how recently Riley was acting weirder in the mornings than she usually did. It started about a month ago. I wondered if it had anything to do with Shawn? Anyway, this particular morning, it was snowing a lot. A big blizzard. No way was Mr. Matthews going to let us go to school in this kind of weather.

I lived in the apartment just above the Matthews' with my mom. It was strange for me to think of my mom as my guardian; sometimes I felt like I was the parent in our relationship. My mom's aspiration was to be an actress. I tried my best to be supportive, but really? What were the chances of her getting a job other than as a waitress? She wasn't the best mom, I had to admit that. But at least she stayed, unlike my dad, who left me and my mom for another family in god knows where.

Shawn once told me he would always look out for me and be there for me when I needed someone to talk to. Someone besides Riley of course. Riley was like the sister that I always wanted, but I knew that she wouldn't be able to understand my family issues. In her world, everybody was perfect, polite and happy. I always wanted to live in a world like that; believing in only good, but sadly I never did. Shawn, I assumed, understood things that even I couldn't get because ever since he came to live in the same building, he's told me about how he was abandoned by his mother when he was about my age. We had so much in common it was almost scary! But I would never take Shawn away from Riley. That was never my intention.

My mom left a note for me on the kitchen counter before she left for work this morning which read, "Meet me at the bakery after school. I have some very important news to tell you! Love- Mommy." Mom always tried to be cute by referring to herself in letters as "Mommy", but I never called her that. I took the note from the kitchen counter and put it in my backpack as I walked out of the apartment, locking the door behind me.

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When I got to the Matthews' apartment, I greeted everybody by saying, "Hey losers!" in a joking way of course. When I saw Shawn sitting beside Mr. Matthews at the breakfast table, I said to him, "Hey Hunter", also in a playful way. I asked where Riley was, and Mrs. Matthews said she was probably still in her room. Then Mrs. Matthews _insisted_ that I eat breakfast with them. That was Riley's mom. She somehow always knew that I never had anything to eat for breakfast at home, so she always made pancakes for me too. It was as if the whole family made room for me to be part of their family, but I knew deep down inside I was not part of their family because I was still a Hart.

I sat down next to Shawn as Mr. Matthews began to tell me about one of their crazy classic high school stories. This morning, they told me about how one time Shawn dressed up as a girl because Mr. Matthews was writing a school newspaper article. Mr. Matthews also ended up dressed as a girl but he was pretending to be one of those creepy, funny-looking old waitresses. They pulled out a black photo album and showed me a cut-out picture with an article beside it called "Chick Like Me".

"Wow," I laughed. "When you two go full out, there's no stopping you." It was a black and white photo, but nevertheless I still found it hilarious.

A few minutes later, Riley walked out of her room with her backpack on her shoulder. She sat down to eat breakfast too. I tried to get an excuse note from Shawn, but then Shawn went on to say that I reminded him of himself. Shawn then began to tell us about his old English teacher, Mr. Turner. I heard great things about the legendary Mr. Feeny, but nobody ever mention a Mr. Turner to me until that morning. When things got a little too serious, Riley pulled me out and we rode the subway to school. I was a little mad at her because I wanted to hear about Shawn's lost love story, but I guess Riley just didn't want to.

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Because it was a snow day, I'd be lying if I said there was no problem when we traveled to school, because Riley fell multiple times. When we finally got to school, I asked Riley about the woman Shawn was talking about.

"Who was that woman Shawn was talking about anyway? An old fling?"

"Angela? I guess so." She shrugged her shoulders and then attempted to dismiss the matter by asking me if I did my homework. I didn't even know where I left my history textbook. She pulled it out of her locker. I told her I'd try harder and she pushed me inside of her dad's class. I went to take my seat and saw that Farkle was already there too.

"Hey Farkle Minkus." I greeted him adding his last name as well because it sounded so funny. I gave him a rare friendly smile. I think he took it a little too personally because his neutral look instantly became a dreamy stare.

"Hello my love. Love is in the air, we must celebrate tomorrow. How about we go out?" He said in a poetic and flirtatious way and winked. Yes it was true that at the beginning of the year, Farkle used to like both Riley and me the same, but a few weeks ago he realized he wasn't getting anywhere with Riley because of Lucas and so now he was focusing all of his attention on me. Great...

I shook my head. "Okay Farkle, this has got to stop. You know you're not my type." I was trying to let him down easy. "Easy" wasn't one of my strengths.

"I can be your type. What is your type?" He said this while crossing his arms across his chest seemingly interested in what I had to say. I thought about it for a second and then I shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't know. But when I find out, I hope by then you'll find someone too." And then I gave him the same rare friendly smile. It was like he wasn't even listening to me. He gave a deep and dreamy sigh as he kept staring at me. I turned myself to see Riley coming into the classroom, her face glowing. It took me a few seconds to realize she was wearing makeup. I was about to say something to her when Mr. Matthews began the class.

"Okay class," Mr. Matthews said in his 'teacher voice'. He then looked at Riley as if she were a stranger. A strange stranger. "Riley, are you wearing makeup?" He asked. I swear, at that moment, the powder wasn't really working for Riley's face, because she instantly turned red. Riley turned to look at me. My hands were tied, this time I couldn't help her. I think by then Mr. Matthews realized what he said and dismissed the issue. It was very unprofessional for a teacher to bring his own family matters into the classroom, especially when those family matters had to do with his daughter who was also his student.

Mr. Matthews cleared his throat. "What I meant to say is that I trust all of you did the homework. I want to give you an assignment for the weekend." Everybody in the class groaned. Except for Farkle of course. Mr Matthews ignored the groaning and continued. "History is very important and it affects everything we do. For this weekend, I want you all to talk to your parents and learn about their past and what they did when they were your age." For a brief second, Mr. Matthews looked at Riley. "Then, write a three page essay about the similarities and differences you have with them. It's due by Monday." The class groaned one more time before Mr. Matthews began with the day's lesson.

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After school, I saw Missy Bradford flirting with Lucas. Riley was the first one to leave the classroom because of how embarrassed she was by her dad.

"So, you wanna go out with me tomorrow?" Missy asked while giggling and then she ran her hands up and down Lucas' chest. I almost threw up.

"Well, I'm going out with Riley tomorrow. Sorry Missy." Lucas shrugged his shoulders as if he really didn't care and as if what Missy was doing and saying had no affect on him. I smiled to myself for two reasons. Riley was going on her first _date _and Lucas just put Missy in her place. Missy's flirtatious smile suddenly dropped to a frown.

"Well, fine. It's your lost anyway." She flipped her hair back with the back of her hand and left the classroom holding her head up high. Lucas walked up to me.

"She should really get an ego-check." I nodded my head in agreement.

"You're telling me." I said. "Now, you treat Riley right on your date cowboy and you can have yourself a nice weekend." I said in my cowboy accent as I tipped my imaginary hat. I walked out of the classroom with a satisfied smirk on my face. I ran into Janitor Harley in the hallway as he was mopping the floors.

"Sup Harley. Have you seen Shawn anywhere?" In school, I was supposed to call Shawn 'Mr. Hunter' but that just sounded weird to me, and when have I ever followed the rules?

"He's in the art room talking to your art teacher." I furrowed my eyebrows. Why was Shawn talking to Ms. Kossa? "Hey, and if you're going to your friend's house, tell Baboon I said hi."

I laughed. "Why do you call Mr. Matthews Baboon?" Harley shrugged.

"Force of habit, I guess." And then he smiled at me. Little did I know that I was going to find out a lot sooner than I thought the reason why he called Mr. Matthews Baboon.

Right when I was about to walk into the art room, Shawn walked out.

"Hey Hunter." I said.

"Hey." He seemed distracted for some reason.

"I was wondering if you could drive me to the bakery? My mom told me to meet her there. She said she wants to tell me something important."

"Sure," Shawn was looking everywhere but me. He seemed nervous now and in a hurry. "Let's go."

Our drive to the bakery took longer than I expected. Traffic was everywhere. We could barley get through. The blizzard was getting worse. Shawn seemed very distant. He didn't say anything since we got in the car until I asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Maya. I'm fine. I just want to let you know that I'm here for you. And your mom loves you a lot." I was surprised and confused. Shawn and my mom did not get along at all since they met. They could barely stand each other. They were so different. They tried to get along for my sake since I was really getting close to Shawn, but I never heard him need to reassure me that my mom loved me.

"What's this about anyway? And why were you talking to Ms. Kossa today?"

"I'll explain everything later." We stopped at a red light." He fished inside his pocket for his wallet and pulled out a picture and gave it to me. I recognized it immediately. It was the picture that the Matthews and I and Shawn took at the bakery in Christmas. I was about to flip the picture to read at the writing in the back when I realized that we had arrived at the bakery. I put the picture inside of my jacket. Before we got out of the car, Shawn asked if he could put his black photo album inside my backpack so that it wouldn't get wet. I accepted and put it inside my backpack.

We walked inside the bakery and I immediately spotted my mom in her blue waitress uniform jumping up and down in what looked to be excitement, hopefully. My mom was one of those people who did not care what anybody thought of her and what she did. It did wonders for her self-esteem. For me, not so much. I hurried over to her side.

"Is something wrong mom?" I said giving my mother a worried and concerned look. Mom was still jumping up and down. She was so excited and happy she almost reminded me of Riley when she got excited.

"Honey, I've made it! I auditioned for a show in California and I got the part!" She wrapped her arms around me. I stood there, frozen. I felt paralyzed. I couldn't move. _How could she do this?_ I thought.

"What about school? I can't leave my friends." She took my hands in hers and gave me a big smile and tried to get me to be as happy as she was.

"You won't have to. I'm leaving you here so you can finish school and I'm on my way to Cali in two days! Aren't you proud of me?" I ripped my hands from hers.

"What? Who's going to take care of me mom?!" I didn't care anymore. People were staring at us, and I didn't care. This was unbelievable. Couldn't she see how much this was hurting me? Shawn walked up beside me.

"That was the reason why I was talking to Ms. Kossa, Maya. She was concerned about who you were staying with." Why did Shawn have to do that? Unless...

"What? You knew?" I asked incredulously, turning myself to face Shawn. I barely managed to keep myself from crying. I was close to tears.

"I'll give you a home Maya." He said. I couldn't believe this. My mom was leaving, and now... this happens. My eyes widened in realization.

"You wanna adopt me?" I asked. "You want to replace my mom? Do _you _think you can replace her?" Mom's smile left off her face.

"Maya, this is my big break. I thought you would be happy for me. I'm trying to do what I think is right. I had no other choice."

"No mom. I thought after dad left that at least you loved me enough to stay and take care of me. And now I feel like you're abandoning me too." Perhaps last year, this problem wouldn't have fazed me as much as it did now. I probably wouldn't have cared, because back then I had lowered my expectations for my mom. After all this time, did I really expect my mom to _stay_? I guess I did. Riley and Shawn filled me up with false hope that she wouldn't leave me.

"Please honey. Forgive me. Try to understand why I'm doing this. You're no good with me. Shawn will take care of you." Despite the fact that she was starting to cry, I shook my head and refused to accept what was happening.

"I can't forgive you Mom if you leave me." I turned to Shawn. "And I thought you said that you would always look out for me. You lied to me."

"Maya, I understand-" He tried to say before I interrupted him.

"How can you understand this? You _don't_ understand me. You can't replace my parents, and you'll never understand me." I didn't know that I already began to cry until I felt my tears streaming down to my cheeks. I wiped the tears immediately with my sleeve. Before my mom or Shawn could make a move, I ran out of the bakery, still carrying my backpack and despite them repeatedly calling my name, I didn't look back.

* * *

The sky was gray, I noticed for the first time. It was probably 3:30 in the afternoon and obviously still snowing. I paused to look up at the sky when I was close to Riley's window. I was wearing my blue jacket and yet I was not wearing gloves or a hat. My hands were starting to turn red. I felt my body shiver as I put my hands inside my jacket pockets and felt something inside. I pulled out the picture Shawn gave to me. My anger told me to rip it up, but my heart told me to read the writing on the back. I flipped it and read: _Maya, you don't have to be blood to be family. Love, Shawn. _I shoved the picture back inside my pocket, too angry to think about the message.

I felt my head start getting numb so I put the hoodie of my jacket up to cover my head and was just about to throw a snow ball at Riley's window when I saw a figure climb out of her window and land on the fire escape in a tan trench coat. It was Riley. She climbed down the stairs as I waited for her. When she jumped to the ground, I saw she had been crying too.

"Maya? What are you doing here?" She said loudly. She wasn't wearing her makeup anymore. The wind was blowing harder and harder. I could barely hear her.

"What are _you_ doing here? I was about to come up and see you!" I said, starting to feel the snow coming up to my ankles.

"Let's get out of here Maya. My parents don't understand me." She began to walk away. I couldn't lose her too, so I followed her.

"What happened with your parents?" I always thought Riley got along with them just fine. It was weird for me to think that I wasn't the only one who had family problems. We walked for a few minutes. Riley was silent. She didn't want to answer me. I had never saw this side of her. It was the side I feared she would become. Like me.

When the storm became unbearable, we quickly entered the first building we could get into. A building that was so familiar to me and now Riley would know my secret. An abandoned warehouse...

* * *

**Author's Note: How did you guys like Girl Meets Crazy Hat? I can't wait for Girl Meets World: of Terror this week! Hope you liked this chapter! Can you guess where Shawn got the quote that he wrote to Maya on the back of the picture? Tell me in the comments if you remember from Boy Meets World! Next Sunday you will find out why Riley was angry with her parents which leads us into: time travel. Read and review!**

**Quote of the week:**

"On the husband highway, there's very little forward traffic. Just a million well intentioned men backing up frantically." **-George Feeny**

**-Mimi1239**


	3. Brand New World

**Here I am again. Last week I asked if any of you could guess where Shawn got the quote "You don't have to be blood to be family", and one person said he got it from Alan. Now I do agree that Shawn learned that message from Alan, however the person who _said _it to Shawn was Mr. Feeny in season 3, episode 17 titled, "The Pink Flamingo Kid". It's a great episode for those who have not watched it or for those who have but would like to refresh their memories. I am pretty excited with the amount of reviews that I have been receiving so keep it up if you follow this story! So I did say that there would be a lot of throwback to Boy Meets World and there is still more to come! Things will get very interesting when Maya learns the history behind that message. This is the initial time-travelling chapter, so enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

Riley's Point of View

_**Friday, February 13th, 2015, New York City**_

_**Present day, 3:10 P.M**_

I rode the subway home and found my parents chatting at the breakfast table. By then, the makeup was off my face. I stomped up to Dad in an angry mood.

"How could you embarrass me like that at school?"

"What happened at school?" Mom asked in a concerned voice while looking at Dad.

"I got a little parental on her when I saw her wearing makeup in front of my class. But Riley, we told you no makeup last year and that rule hasn't changed yet. How can we trust you now?"

"But I'm older now and I only did it because I wanted Lucas to ask me out for Valentine's Day tomorrow. And he did Mom!" I turned my attention to Mom, hoping that at least she would sympathize with my woman issues.

"We're both happy for you honey." Mom began then turned to look at Dad who had a horrified expression on his face. "We really are."

"Riley," Dad began, "you're not going on that date tomorrow. The four of us are going to Philadelphia tonight to visit your grandparents for Valentine's Day." What was so great about Philadelphia anyway? Sure, it was where my parent grew up, got married and began their lives there, but I'd never actually been there myself and now my parents decided to take us there coincidentally when I was supposed to have my first date with Lucas this weekend? _How could they do this to me?_ I thought.

"Why can't I stay here by myself?" My parents burst into laughter. It reminded me of the time I told them I was getting out of control when I wanted them to stop treating me like a baby.

When my parents stopped laughing at me, Dad said, "Riley, you haven't met the world yet. You can't take care of yourself. When you go out into the world, you'll see how tough it really is."

"Cory." Mom warned. I sighed.

"Well, I can stay at Maya's apartment." I had to get out of going to Philadelphia. What was I afraid of anyway? That my parents would forget me and spend all of their time hanging out with their long-time friends on Valentine's Day when I could be here enjoying my time with Lucas? Of course that was it.

"When I was your age-" I rolled my eyes. I couldn't take it anymore. The past, the nineties, the ignorance. My parents did not understand me, so I just blew.

"Can we stop talking about the past? Mom and Dad, I am tired of hearing about your high school stories. Ever since Shawn moved here, that's all you've been talking about."

Mom paused and then came closer to me. "Honey, is that what's bothering you? Is it because you feel like we've been ignoring you?"

I backed up. "Yes, that's exactly what's it. And I wanted to wear makeup because I wanted to be beautiful."

Dad jumped out of his seat. "Riley, you are beautiful."

"Then how come you couldn't say that to me before? You guys go on and on about the past and I wasn't even there so I can't understand it. I don't think I will ever find something I can relate with you guys. Dad, I don't think I can do that assignment you gave us in class. There is nothing I can find that is similar to the way you grew up in the nineties, to the way I am growing up now. We live in two separate worlds and that won't change." I ran to my room and locked the door behind me. I laid on my bed and stared out my bay window watching the snow storm grow stronger and stronger. I could feel tears start to stream down my face. I heard a knock on my door.

"Honey, let us in." It was Mom.

"I don't want to talk to anybody. Leave me alone! I'm _not _going to Philadelphia!" It was then that I decided that somehow they would get in, but when they did, I did not want to be there. I got up, wiped my tears, grabbed my tan trench coat, slipped it on and climbed outside my bay window. I found Maya waiting for me on the ground. I was too angry to talk. We walked away from my building and had to slip inside an abandoned warehouse when the storm was getting too much for us to handle. I was beginning to forget about my problems.

"How old do you think this building is?" I asked out loud looking around the big empty building and then looking up to see the ceiling so grand and so far away from us that it made me feel so small and fragile. The walls were a white color and the whole room was a bit dark. The only light we had was coming through the windows, and that wasn't a lot. Maya shrugged.

"A hundred? I don't know." I could sense some annoyance in her voice.

"I'm sorry for the way I acted back there Maya. Life's getting pretty complicated, isn't it?" Maya gave me a sad look.

"You have no idea." I should have thought more about what she said. I should have asked her what was wrong with _her_, but I didn't. I took out my cell phone to put it in flashlight mode. Maya followed suit. We set our phones on the floor and sat down against the wall. "It's alright, Riles. We all have our problems. Some more than others." Another hint that I should have asked her what was bothering her. The room went silent.

"Maya, I think we should leave. I don't like this place at all." I tried to get up, but Maya caught my arm.

"Don't dis this place. It's like my second home."

"What?" I looked at her puzzled. Maya sighed.

"I've never told anybody this, but this is where I come when you're not home. I found this place a few months ago and I've been coming here ever since. It's not a bad place. I've never seen anybody here." That made me feel a little better.

"I'm sorry Maya."

"It's alright. You were just going by appearances."

We talked for what seemed like hours and it probably was. We talked about Lucas mostly. Anything that didn't have to do with what we were getting away from. Anything that didn't have to do with our families. We watched the sky get darker through every window. I lied down next to Maya, and dozed off.

* * *

The first image I saw when I stirred myself awake was a slim black lady standing above me with her hand pressed against my forehead. _Where was I?_ I thought to myself. All I remembered was finding Maya outside my window, going into the abandon building, and then...what happened? _Did I bang my head? Was everything all just a dream? Where was I?_

"She's coming around." The young woman announced. My eyes focused on the short nurse cap she was wearing. _Oh good, she's a nurse. _I initially thought. Then I realized what that could possibly mean. _Was I injured?_

"Where are my parents?" My voice crooked. I felt chills running through my body yet my face felt hot.

I saw a glimpse of sadness in her eyes before she said, "I found you and your little blonde friend lying on the park ground when I took some of my kids there for some playtime. Thank goodness you're alright!"

"Are you talking about Maya? Where is she?" My voice was starting to feel a little bit more normal. I sat up very quickly. I instantly felt dizzy. The nurse pushed me back down.

"You should rest child. You must be very sick. I'll go get your friend. She seems to be a little better off in her condition than you are right now. Everything will be okay." Everything was _not _okay. I was in a strange place with strangers and the nurse lady did not know where my parents were. When the nurse left, I realized there was a boy about my age sitting in the far corner staring at me.

"I hope you're alright." He said getting up and cautiously walking over to my bedside. He seemed to be very timid at first.

"I don't think so. Can you tell me where I am?" His blond short bangs covered most of his blue eyes.

"This is an orphanage. We carried you two back here when we saw you were abandoned and the other girl said you needed help." For the first time, I took notice of my surroundings. I was in a colorful bedroom. Colors spread across the walls. Paintings of happy kids and trees were everywhere. It was a little kids room, and in a way, it reminded me of Auggie's room.

"So those kids the lady was talking about are not really her kids, but orphans?" He nodded his head.

"Yeah. I'm sort of like her assistant. I'm an orphan too. Um, you're not from around here, are you?" I'd never been to an orphanage before. I never thought I would ever be in one and talk to someone who was an orphan. I was about to comment on how young the boy was to be a nurse's assistant when I heard the door open and saw Maya walking in wearing some old gray dull clothes that were way too big on her, which was something way different than what she usually wore. When I looked down at my body, I realized that I too was wearing the same gray dull clothing.

"Maya!" I screamed in relief as she ran toward me and hugged me.

The nurse lady walked in. She walked up to me and took the cloth on top of my forehead. "I'll go get you another cloth honey. I think you may be coming down with something worse than a cold. Come on Ricky." She said to the blond boy as they both walked out of the room.

I waited for the lady and the boy to be out of ear-shot before I said, "Maya, where the heck are we?" I sat up regardless of my head still hurting and opened the curtain windows to be blinded by the sun. It was hot. _What happened to the snow?_

"An orphanage. Are you alright? God, I was scared to death when you didn't wake up." Maya sat on the chair beside my bed.

"Not really. I have a headache. I think I'm sick. I feel so cold yet so hot. Do you remember what happened?"

"We were in the warehouse, remember? Then we fell asleep, I think. My memory is pretty bad right now."

"I can't remember anything either. That nurse said she found us at a park?" It was more like a question than a statement. "Do you know where my parents are?" Sadly, she shook her head.

"No. This is just weird." Just then, the nurse came back with the boy named Ricky holding a wet cloth.

The nurse lady put her hands on her hips. It was then that I noticed something seemed familiar about the way the nurse walked and talked. I just couldn't put my finger on it. "Now where are my manners? My name is Nurse Millar. Welcome to the Needy Kids Orphanage. We've been opened for almost a year now." The cheery nurse said as she placed the cold wet cloth on my forehead and told me to lie down.

"What year is it exactly?" I asked. Nurse Millar chuckled.

"Oh, it seems like your friend is still a little confused in the head." She said to Maya. "The year is 1993, honey." I jolted up simultaneously as Maya jumped up from her seat.

"1993?!" We screamed in shock at the same time. Nurse Millar and Ricky gave us a peculiar look.

"Yes, I know that's hard to believe when you see the progress done to this orphanage in only a few months." The nurse said sarcastically. "Now can you lie down and stay still?" I did as I was told. The nurse looked at Maya, "By the way little girl, the staff told me you two can stay here as long as you want." _Was this really a dream now? _I turned to give Maya a horrified expression.

"Maya? You want us to stay _here_?" Did I say really that out loud? "_Not _that there's anything wrong with that." I said quickly to Nurse Millar. "Can you give us a moment alone, please?"

"Sure. Just as long as you don't get up from your bed. If you need anything, I'll be right outside." Nurse Millar and Ricky left the room once again.

"I had a lot of time to think this over Riley." Maya began, pacing around the small room. "And I think this is a good idea. We should stay here." I couldn't believe what she was saying!

"What are you trying to do? You're crazy! Maya, we don't belong here! We belong back home with our parents! Oh no." I slapped my hand on my forehead. "My parents must be freaking out right now."

Maya chuckled. "Relax Riley. Your parents are not your parents right now. They're the same age as us."

I thought about it for a moment, trying to calculate the numbers in my head. "Actually, they must be eleven. We're almost thirteen. We're two years older than them." Maya gave me a mischievous smirk.

"Perfect." Maya clasped her hands together. "We'll tell the nurse we're eleven years old. That would make us two years younger than we actually are!" I glared at her.

"You have this all figured out, don't ya?"

"Well where else are we supposed to live Einstein?" I guess what she was saying did make sense. I mean since we were in the past now, we needed shelter. What better way to get shelter than from a rent-free house? There were probably a few hundred orphan kids living here, but it was better than nothing. And in a way, we were orphans now too. I then realized something.

"I can't be an orphan! I have two parents who are worried sick about me!" I exclaimed panicky.

Maya shrugged her shoulders. "Hey, I've always felt like an orphan, so I'll show you everything I know."

I frowned. "You evil genius. So you do know where we are?"

Maya nodded. "I hate to break it to you kid, but we're in Philadelphia. No longer in New York. Nurse Millar told me before you woke up."

"Why didn't you tell me that before?" I asked in an angry tone.

Maya shrugged. "Sorry Riley. Nurse Millar told me not to shock you with any sudden news. Plus, I knew where we were, but I didn't know _when _we were." That didn't make sense at all. I was about to say something when again, the nurse came back in.

"I need you girls to sign some forms before you can become a part of this orphanage. After that, you two will be put in a school."

"Do we get to decide what school we want to go to?" Maya asked. It was strange for me to hear her care about the school she wanted to go to. I was afraid because I knew where this was going.

Nurse Millar thought about it for a moment. "Depends on the location. We don't have everything figured out quite yet."

* * *

A few hours later, Maya and I were filling out the papers. _Name, gender, date of birth, and school of choice. _I looked over at Maya's form to see what she put down for date of birth and school of choice. She put down 1982 for her year of birth. I did too.

We were given a list of elementary schools that were close to the area. I knew Maya only had one school in mind though. I had a terrifying feeling that if we got accepted _there_, everything would changed. Oh how much I knew Maya. The school she put down was the one I never thought I would see. How weird was it that I didn't want to go to Philadelphia and yet this is where I ended up anyway?

Maya had a plan. That didn't mean that was a good thing. A sure thing. The school she wanted to go to was the one where my parents were probably in right now. I looked up to meet her eyes. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" She nodded her head confidently.

"I'm sure Riley." I took a deep breath like someone would do if they were about to jump into the deep end of a swimming pool. This was very similar to that. I wrote down on my form: Jefferson Elementary.

* * *

**Author's Note: As I was concluding this chapter, I realized that I had no idea what the name of Cory's elementary school was from season 1. I searched it up frantically because I wanted to keep this story accurate and in the end I found it. It's Jefferson Elementary. The gang moved to John Adams High in season 2 for high school. The more I get into this story, the harder it will be to keep it accurate for those of you that know what I mean. Anyway, what did you guys think of Girl Meets World: Of Terror? And Then There Was Shawn is still definitely my favorite Halloween episode by far. This week's episode is Harley's return! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Nurse Millar seems to be a very interesting character, huh? She has more to do with Girl Meets World than you can imagine. Next week's chapter: young Cory, Shawn, and Topanga. Read and review! Till next week!**

**Quote of the week:**

"It's not enough to desire to succeed in this cold world. Then you simply become a part of it. You must also have a desire to change it."** -George Feeny**

**-Mimi1239**


	4. Meet the Gang

**To those of you that are celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow (myself included) Happy early Thanksgiving to you! I'm thankful to everybody who has followed, favorited, reviewed, and read my story so far. This chapter was probably my favorite one to write so far because Riley and Maya start going to school and meet some of the Boy Meets World characters. Leave me ideas in the review section for what you want to happen in this story. I have an idea of where I want to go with this story but I want to hear what you guys think. I want to give a shout out to those who reviewed my last chapter: TeamEdwardUntilldie, laughyourheadoff, demi-wolf3T, fictionlover94, HP Marvel, Broadwaygirl21, Glee Club Rock 1251, and livelearnlovesing. I hope I'm not missing anyone. So I went back and edited my first three chapters because of some advice I got. There won't be any recaps or promos. Most of my important edits are from chapters 2 and 3. I love the support, keep it up!**

**Let's get on with it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

Maya's Point of View

_**Wednesday, September 15th, 1993, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 7:00 A.M**_

Two days had past by since Riley and I discovered we were in the year 1993, and we got accepted into Jefferson Elementary. Today would be our first day of school. Nurse Millar assured us that we wouldn't be too behind in our subjects, but we should pay extra attention to the teacher anyway. Obviously, they made us take some tests to see if we would qualify for the sixth grade. We both passed. It was pretty easy considering I had already somewhat learned the material the previous year when I actually _was_ in the sixth grade. I couldn't believe it. I was actually looking forward to going to school because everything would be like a review of what I had forgotten. I'd be lying if I said I was not nervous about seeing Riley's parents and Shawn as kids like we were. I couldn't imagine the way Riley was feeling. They were _her_ parents after all. She could blow our cover for sure. I kept telling her to stick to our story and what we told the orphanage people just in case they asked any questions.

"We have no parents. We are not related but we grew up together. We've been homeless for a few months now and that is why we are staying at the Needy Kid's Orphanage. We haven't been to school since our parents died and do not have any known relatives. Got it? This is important Riley." I was going over this with her in the small bedroom that the orphanage people gave us. At least we had some privacy to talk

Riley looked as if she was taking mental notes, but she still seemed distracted. "Got it. I just can't believe we are doing this." She was frantically organizing her backpack. I put my hand on her shoulder to show comfort.

"Relax. You trust me, right? It's not like we're doing anything wrong-"

Riley gave me a look.

"But we _are_ orphans!" I said trying to defend myself.

"Our phones are gone, we can't even call anybody for help!" Riley began to breathe rapidly.

"Calm done. Someone might hear you." I said in a low whisper grabbing Riley's shoulders. "We'll get through this."

"What's in your backpack, anyway?" She said pointing to my opened backpack. I took out Shawn's black photo album and showed it to Riley. She gasped. "Where did you get that?"

"Shawn told me to hold on to it before we got transported."

"Oh! So the photo album follows us but not our cell phones?"

"Riley, our cell phones did not exist yet, but when I saw that I still had this, it made me realize that we were brought here for a reason. I've scanned a few pages. All of these pictures are of your parents and Shawn when they were in high school and college. This album keeps us up-to-date with what is happening with your parents. There's even a date for every picture, look." I flipped to the first page. There was a picture of young Cory and Shawn soaked with other little kids, holding water guns. They just finished having a water fight. September 8th, 1993 was written on the back of the photo. "This happened last week!"

"I still think this is a bad idea." Riley said not looking convinced at all. I sighed in frustration as we walked outside of our bedroom, closing the door behind us. This was going to be a long day.

We were given new clothes to wear. But it wasn't the same style or fashion like we wore in the year 2015; everything was different in order for us to blend in. Instead of wearing colorful dresses with heals and shorts with nylons like we used to wear before, the trends were different in the 90s, especially for six graders. They were a lot more causal, which is not what we were used to. I had on a simple light blue t-shirt, blue jeans and sneakers. Riley was almost dressed the same as me except she had on a pink t-shirt, light blue jeans with black flip-flops. It was all the orphanage could afford really. It was really not our best look. We couldn't even style our hair. The orphanage claimed it was a "luxury" to have a curling iron.

We arrived at the bus stop just as the yellow school bus passed by and stopped right in front of us. Riley gave me a terrified expression as both doors of the school bus opened. I rolled my eyes.

"Go." I said pushing her up the stairs. "Stay cool." I whispered in her ear. The bus was packed with screaming little kids. Once we got on, all eyes were on us. I pushed Riley all the way to the back before she could say anything to screw this up and we sat in the first seat that was empty. "I'm glad that's over." I sighed looking over at Riley. "You doing better now?" She nodded slowly.

"I think so. As long as we don't bump into anybody we know yet, I think I'll be okay." Just then, the bus stopped and in came young Cory and Shawn wearing these overly-sized sweaters that did not match anything else they were wearing. "Oh. My. God." Riley's eyes widened. I prayed that their favorite seat wasn't the back, but I was wrong again and they sat right beside us on the other side of the bus! Riley tried to look casual by staring out the window, but I knew she was screaming inside, just as much as I was too.

Looking at a picture of something is not the same compared to seeing it in real life. That's what I realized then. Cory and Shawn looked a lot smaller, a lot younger, and were a lot louder than in the pictures I had seen of them. I kept staring at them, particularly at Shawn because he was the one that looked most different. He looked younger without his beard and did not look like a writer at all. He looked like any normal six grader and it felt weird to be looking at the person who almost adopted me, as the same age as me. I think after a while of me staring at Shawn, he realized I was staring at him, because he turned his head from talking to Cory, and looked at me for a second. I immediately turned away and stared at the ground. _Wow, that was embarrassing._

When the bus arrived to the school, we waited till Cory and Shawn got off of the bus before we moved an inch. We walked inside the school and thankfully we were able to find the principal's office with no trouble.

"I'll do the talking. Riley, just nod your head every time I say something." Riley nodded her head. I was a much better liar than she was.

The secretary told us to wait in the principal's office for a few minutes because apparently the principal was still in a meeting. After a while we heard the door open behind us, and there walked in a tall man holding a cup of coffee in his left hand.

"Hello, I'm your principal Mr. Reese." He introduced himself. We stood up as he walked toward us and shook our hands. He was wearing a suit and a tie. I could tell just by what he was wearing and the way he talked we weren't going to get along very well.

"I'm Maya Hart," I began, pointing to myself. "and this is my best friend, Riley Matthews. We come from the Needy Kid's Orphanage." He nodded his head as he sat down behind his desk.

"Yes, we've been expecting you. Welcome to Jefferson Elementary. If you need anything, my door is always opened." He flashed us a smile. "Now, here are your schedules and locker combinations," he said handing us a piece of paper to each one of us. "I hope neither of you will cause any trouble." He narrowed his eyes at Riley. I stepped in.

"Don't worry sir. Riley's a good kid. It's me you'll have to watch out for." I said pointing my thumb at myself. That was usually how I started every year of school. If there was a new teacher or principal, I always warned them about my rebellious and troublemaker side before they expected anything else from me.

"Maya." Riley warned. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder.

"See? She's a good kid. Later sir." I saluted him with a wide smirk on my face as we both walked out of his office. Riley pushed herself off of me.

"Maya! You're going to give us detention on the first day of school if you don't stop mouthing off to the authority!" I raised an eyebrow.

"You don't have to yell. Besides, I was just playing with him. He should expect that from new kids." I looked down at my schedule. Oh no.

"Who do we have Maya? I'm scared to look." Riley said closing her eyes very tightly.

"You want me to say it? It's Mr. Feeny." I already expected her to panic. Strangely she didn't. She smiled wide.

"I'm okay. This doesn't affect me at all. Let's go." She said grabbing my arm as we raced to class. When we got to the classroom door, Riley stopped and stood there, frozen. "Okay, I know I said I was alright, but frankly, I think I'm going to faint." I held out my arms.

"For the last time, calm down. Let's do this." I said in a forced confident voice. We walked into the classroom and there he was. The legendary Mr. Feeny sitting behind his desk reading a book. The classroom was empty. School didn't start yet. I walked up to him. "Hi, my name is Maya Hart. This is my best friend, Riley Matthews and we are your new students." He looked up at us and took off his reading glasses.

"Riley Matthews? You aren't in any way related to Cory Matthews, are you?" He answered in a British accent. I could see he had a worried look on his face. Riley shook her head immediately and chuckled nervously.

"N-no sir. There's a kid in your class named Cory Matthews? What a coincidence! But n-no. No relation sir." I rolled my eyes at Riley. Why did she have to babble when she got nervous? Mr. Feeny raised an eyebrow.

"Are you alright, Miss Matthews?" Riley nodded her head.

"Yes I am. Um, where do we sit?" Mr. Feeny thought about it for a moment, looking intently at the empty seats in front of him.

"Why don't you both sit in the second row? One can sit behind the other." Each row had three seats. I walked up to the back end of the row Mr. Feeny pointed at and sat down in the seat. Riley sat down in the middle seat of same the row. Suddenly the bell rang and kids started coming in like wild animals. Young Topanga walked in with young Minkus looking at Topanga with a dreamy stare. I turned to look at Riley. She was taking deep breaths and she kept her eyes closed. Minkus sat in front of Riley as Topanga sat in the next row beside Minkus at the front. Topanga was wearing a white long dress and she had her long hair in braids. She looked like an earth child! And other than with the glasses on, Minkus immediately reminded me of Farkle. He was his father after all.

"Settle down children." Mr. Feeny called over everybody as he got up from his chair. He moved himself to the front of the class and leaned over his desk. Shawn and Cory were the last two kids to walk into the class.

"Ah, Mr. Matthews, Mr. Hunter, what a pleasure for you to be joining us today." Mr. Feeny said sarcastically.

"Ditto." Cory responded. I chuckled out loud. Mr. Feeny instantly saw me.

"I hope that doesn't happen too often Miss Hart. Class," Mr. Feeny announced. "We have two news students that will be joining us starting today. Riley Matthews and Maya Hart." He said reading off our names in the attendance sheet. Shawn turned to look at me. It was then that I realized that Shawn Hunter was sitting next to me at the back of the classroom, and Cory was sitting next to Riley! _Please don't recognize me! _I prayed.

"Hey, didn't I see you on the bus this morning?"

"Quiet down, Mr. Hunter. You can mingle with the new students after class, not during my time." The classroom laughed. "Today, we will continue with the remaining reports we could not finish yesterday."

* * *

I basically zoned out most of the reports. I thought sixth grade would be a lot easier than it really was. I did learn something today though, Mr. Feeny was a really tough teacher.

"Next group." Mr. Feeny called out after a very impressive report was given. Shawn and Cory got up from their seats, slapped hands with each other and went to the black board. _This should be good, _I thought to myself. Shawn pulled out the classroom map down.

"How air pollution affects our every day life." Cory began.

"Excellent topic." Mr. Feeny commented. Cory and Shawn simultaneously pulled out pointing sticks from their sleeves.

"Denver," Shawn began slapping his pointing stick randomly on the map. Mr. Feeny reached out and moved his pointing stick to where Denver was supposed to be. "high atop the majestic Rocky Mountains. Elevation-5,000 feet."

"Philadelphia," Cory also slapped his pointing stick randomly on the map and Mr. Feeny moved his stick to where Philadelphia was supposed to be. I could hear Riley giggling in her seat. "lying low in the Delaware basin."

"Well researched." Mr. Feeny sounded impressed.

"Denver," Shawn slapped his pointing stick randomly on the map again. Mr. Feeny didn't even bother this time. "Clean crisp mountain air."

"Philadelphia," Cory said, again, also doing the same. "Polluted industrial smog."

"Mile High Stadium, home of the Colorado Rockies." Shawn said.

"Veterans Stadium, home of the Philadelphia Phillies." Cory said.

"Oh, here we go." Mr. Feeny said turning himself to face the classroom. Shawn and Cory leaned their hands on opposite sides of Mr. Feeny's desk and started ranting on about baseball and how that ties in with air pollution. It reminded me of something I would do in Mr. Matthews class when I wasn't prepared.

"So, how'd you like our report?" Cory asked Mr. Feeny once they were finished.

"Stinks."

"Stinks!" Cory yelled at Shawn. "How'd you like my half?"

"Relax, Mr. Matthews. I blame myself."

"You do? Cool." Cory shrugged his shoulders happily and high-fived Shawn as they went to take their seats. I had to laugh a little at that. I could get used to this Cory. Mr. Feeny eyed me again as he stood up. It didn't really matter to me because now he would have three slackers in his class.

"Yes. I let you choose your own partner. An astounding lapse of judgment for someone of my experience. I'm going to let you try again but this time I'll choose the teams." He looked around the class for a moment, then his eyes fell on me. "Actually Mr. Hunter, I am going to put you in a group three of people. In this case Mr. Hunter, you'll work with Miss Hart," And then he looked at Minkus. "and Mr. Minkus." I wish I could have objected, but then that would have looked suspicious. I wasn't supposed to know Shawn yet.

Both Shawn and Minkus slapped one hand on their foreheads at the same time and said, "oh, no." I remembered the present Shawn telling me once he did not get along well with Farkle's dad when they went to school together. This was going to very interesting. Mr. Feeny turned to Cory.

"And Mr. Matthews. The same goes for you too. You'll work with Miss Matthews and Miss Lawrence."

"Topanga? And the new girl? You're making me work with two girls?" It was pretty evident Cory wasn't into girls yet. Topanga slowly turned her body to face Cory and Riley.

"Give me your hands." She commanded in a slow tone.

"Why?" Cory asked with a puzzled look.

"I want to see if our energies converge." Topanga responded. Riley reluctantly gave up her hand first and then Cory did too.

"Ooh." I could hear Shawn tease beside me as Topanga rubbed with the tip of her fingers against the palm of Riley's and Cory's hand.

"They're vibrationally acceptable." Topanga said turning herself to face Mr. Feeny with a satisfied smile on her face. _How did Cory marry Topanga if it seems like he hated her?_

"Are you alright with this arrangement, Miss Matthews?" Mr. Feeny asked looking at the poor, scared looking Riley. Riley quickly glanced over at Cory and Topanga and then turned to Mr. Feeny.

"Do I really have a choice?" She answered in almost a whisper. Mr. Feeny shook his head.

"No."

* * *

**Author's Note: I was thinking about doing something special for you guys because I have the day off school on Monday because of Thanksgiving, but something came up and I decided to take it slow. I'm usually pretty busy so I will stick to updating once a week. It's realistic for me. If you haven't caught to what's happening in the story yet, I'm starting off with "Cory's Alternative Friends" because it's Topanga's first appearance. Riley and Maya will certainly affect what happens in this episode. By the way, I saw Girl Meets the Forgotten and it is now my favorite episode so far! Till next week!**

**Quote of the week:**

"A best friend is part of who you are. And if she's not accepting your best friend, then she's really not accepting you." **-Topanga Lawrence**

**-Mimi1239**


	5. Doughnut in the Sky

**Hey again! This week I've been pretty busy since I had three tests to study for for three consecutive days and a band performance in which I had to stay at school till 9:30 P.M. But in between trying to balance my schedule, I've managed to write Chapter 5: Doughnut in the Sky. I think most of you know what's coming in this chapter :) I'm very pleased with the feedback I've been getting. Receiving thirteen reviews in my last chapter has really put a smile on my face. Thank you guys so much for the support! Keep it up! I want to give a shout out to the people who reviewed my last chapter: HaylieSalvatore, Anonymous, thehornetsnest, Mrs. Spiderman Penguin, Broadwaygirl21, Kandigirl335, LoveShipper, Junatina, Guest, HK, BagelsandBroadway, Glee Clue Rock 1251, and Pebblemist of LightClan.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

Riley's Point of View

_**Wednesday, September 15th, 1993, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 12:00 P.M**_

After my father's- I'm sorry, _Cory's_ attempt to get out of our group project with failed results, Mr. Feeny dismissed the class and we headed off to lunch. Instead of asking around for the location of the cafeteria, Maya and I just decided to follow everybody else since they were all heading the same way anyway. A lot of pushing and shoving was involved as we entered the cafeteria. We realized after a moment of looking around the lunchroom that every single table was occupied, and it wasn't like we had made any friends yet during our morning class with Mr. Feeny. I glanced over at Maya. She was staring at the table which Shawn was sitting at by himself waiting for Cory who was by the vending machine, and by the mischievous smirk growing on her face, I could tell what she was thinking.

"Let me guess," I said in a quiet tone, but loud enough so that only Maya could hear me. "You think by sitting with my dad and my godfather our situation will get any better?"

Maya shrugged her shoulders. "Hey, you said it, not me. Besides, Shawn's in my group and I need to know when we're meeting."

I gave Maya a puzzled look. "Since when did you become the responsible one?" A smile formed on my face in realization. "Oh, I'm really impressed Maya. You're caring about school."

"Only because that's become my only excuse for you to let me drag you to their table." My smile turned into a frown.

"I knew this was too good to be true." I pouted letting her take my arm and pull me along to Shawn and Cory's table. We stopped right beside Shawn as he looked up at us.

"Hi," Maya greeted. "Shawn...Hunter...is it?" She questioned pretending to be unsure.

"Yeah." He nodded pushing his hair back with his hand.

"Can we sit with you? I wanna talk about our presentation." Maya asked. He nodded his head and we sat down across from Shawn. "I'm Maya, this is Riley." Maya said introducing us. I smiled sheepishly as I stared down at my lap. We both simultaneously bend down to our backpacks and pulled out our brown papered lunch that the orphanage prepared for us.

"I saw you guys on the bus this morning, right? You were the one staring at me." Shawn smirked at Maya.

Maya rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself Hunter. I wasn't staring at you. And where's that Minkus kid?" She asked looking around the cafeteria. Her eyes stopped at the table beside ours where there sitting were a bunch of weird kids, including my mom! One kid was even wearing a cape. "Minkus." Maya called out. Minkus looked up from his food, got up, and came over to our table.

"Yes?" He asked in a very polite manner. Stuart Minkus had blondish hair, glasses, good posture, a small body, but nevertheless, a huge brain.

"The three of us are in a group together, so when and where do we meet?" Maya asked very bluntly.

"Actually new girl," Shawn interrupted. "Minkus and I decided that he should work on the assignment by himself."

"I have a name." Maya retorted. "And why wasn't I consulted?"

"Shawn and I are simply not compatible." Minkus said shrugging his shoulders. "And we thought the assignment would be achieved more effectively and successfully if I just did the entire assignment myself." He smiled proudly.

"Whatever you say kid." Maya said giving up. Minkus returned back to his table as Cory came to our table carrying a bag of chips in his left hand. He sat down beside Shawn seemingly distracted and worried about something. He didn't notice the new additions to their lunch table: us. He quickly held his spoon up to eye-level and concentrated on his reflection that the object gave off intensely while touching his curly brown hair, obviously meaning he was using the spoon as a mirror.

"What do you think of my hair?" Cory asked in an insecure voice out loud meant for only Shawn to hear, but that wasn't the case this time.

Shawn glanced at us and then chuckled nervously. "Cory, there's chicks at our table." Cory put the spoon down and looked at us.

"Oh, hi girls." He said in a monotone voice. He turned his attention back to his best friend. "Shawn, what do you think about my hair?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. _My dad was insecure about his hair at my age? He never told me that before. I just always assumed he was okay with the way he looked._

"Guys don't ask guys that question." Shawn responded with a smirk.

"Well, would this qualify as a Brillo head?" Cory asked pointing to his curly hair.

"Nah. You're more like a Nerf head." Shawn chuckled along with Maya. I glared at her.

"You knew this, and you didn't tell me?" Cory asked in a panic voice.

"You got curly hair. Big deal." Shawn responded shrugging his shoulders. It was then that I finally had the courage to speak.

"If you ask me, I think your hair looks fine." Did I really say that? I was complementing my dad on his hair and he didn't even know me.

"Yeah," Shawn agreed. "Listen to the chick. They're the experts."

"We have names." Maya argued once again.

"I'm Riley Matthews." I said introducing myself to Cory.

"I'm Cory. Listen, I know this is kind of a weird question, but what do you girls know about straightening hair?" I looked at Maya for help. I didn't want to say anything that would put us into more trouble.

"You could use a cream? Or a special shampoo?" Maya improvised.

"Can we move on now?" Shawn asked, obviously not interested in Cory's dilemma.

"Sure. It's easy for you to talk. You got hair. I'm a Chia pet." Cory said feeling his hair with both of his hands. I then saw from the corner of my eye Topanga coming over to our table holding a clipboard. _Great._

"Cory, I got Jedidiah to drive me to your house after school." Topanga said to Cory. Jedidiah...my grandfather? She turned her head to face me. "Riley, will you be able to join us today?" Wow, my mom was inviting me to my dad's house to work on a school project. How _wonderful._

"Y-yeah. I'll be there." I responded trying to control my shaky voice.

"Who's Jedidiah?" Cory asked curiously.

"My father." Topanga replied.

"Wait. You call your father Jedidiah?"

"That's his name." Topanga answered simply. "What do you call your father?"

"Well, like a lot of normal people I refer to him as 'Dad.'" Wow, my dad _really _didn't like my mom when they were young. How did it get like this? "Look, Topanga and Riley, is there any way we can do this assignment on the phone...or by telepathy?" I could tell he really didn't want Topanga at his house.

"It concerns our environment. I think it deserves more direct attention. What do you think Riley?" Topanga asked me. Even in the past, my parents still wanted me to take sides.

"I-I agree with what you said." I said eventually taking my mom's side.

"Okay, okay. I'll see you at my house after school." Cory said trying to get Topanga to leave. Topanga didn't move an inch.

"Before I leave I'd like you to sign a petition to save Mrs. Rosemead's job." Topanga said settling the clipboard and pen on the table.

"Who's Mrs. Rosemead?" Cory asked.

"Our librarian." Topanga answered. "They're forcing her to retire. It's blatant ageism."

"Maybe because she's blatantly old." Shawn joked. I grabbed the pen and wrote my name at the top of the blank list. I handed the pen to Maya and she put her name under mine. A smile formed on my mom's face.

"Thank you Riley and Maya." Topanga then tried to get Cory and Shawn to sign the petition as well. They both declined.

"We're real, real busy here." Cory said.

"Fine. I'll respect your space. I'll see you later Riley. It was nice meeting you guys." Topanga smiled genuinely at me especially before she went back to her table. Oh, how much I wanted to say _bye Mom_, but I couldn't.

* * *

The rest of the lunch period was spend with Cory complaining about his curly hair. After a while, Shawn said he would go to the store and get some stuff that would straighten Cory's curly hair. I wanted to object because I sensed something bad would happen but Maya warned me not to do anything that would affect the future. I think she was just curious to see what my dad would do to his hair. After school, I rode the bus with Maya and we sat at the back of the bus and with Cory and Shawn sitting across from us like in the morning. When Cory got up, it was a signal for me to follow him off the bus to his house. I looked behind my shoulder to see Maya waving at me from the bus' window as she mouthed out, "Good luck" before the bus drove away. I sighed.

I followed Cory in silence a few blocks until we officially arrived at his house. This was where I was supposed to be twenty-two years from now on a trip with my parents and brother if I hadn't tried to run away with Maya in what seemed like decades ago. I mentally kicked myself. We entered Cory's house and was greeted by a lady I knew all too well. Cory's mom. _My _grandmother.

"Hi, my name is Amy. I'm Cory's mother." She said cheerfully extending her hand to me. As I shook it and smiled politely, I noticed small little girl was sitting on the couch playing with a doll. _Aunt Morgan. _"Cory's never brought a girl home before." Mrs. Matthews said excitedly. Morgan got off of the couch and came toward me, looking up at me curiously.

"Wow, you're really pretty." Morgan complimented. _Aw, that's so sweet!_

"Thank you." I smiled. "You're pretty too." She smiled back.

"It's just for a school assignment Mr. Feeny's making us do." Cory tried to explain. "Topanga Lawrence is coming over soon and she's the one we've gotta watch out for."

"Cory." Mrs. Matthews warned.

"I'm sorry Mom." Cory apologized. "It's just that Topanga's totally weird. Right Riley?" _Oh great, here we go again. Asking me to pick sides._

"I don't really know. This is my first day." I smiled sheepishly. Just then, the door bell rang. Mrs. Matthews got up and answered the door. Topanga came in carrying a boom-box and smiled up at Mrs. Matthews.

"Good afternoon Mrs. Matthews. How are you today?"

"I'm fine. Thank you for asking Topanga. Why don't you three go work in the kitchen?" Mrs. Matthews suggested. "I have work to finish up so if you need anything, I'll be here in the living room with Morgan." The three of us walked into the kitchen and settled our books on the kitchen table. Just then, a teenage boy about fifteen or sixteen came down the stairs and made a bee-line to the fridge. He probably noticed the three of us in the room a second later because he instantly smirked.

"Hey Cor." The boy greeted, happiness showing in his voice as he played with Cory's curly hair. "Who're you're little girly friends?" He teased.

"Knock it off Eric, this is strictly school-related." Cory clarified. _Oh my god. It's Uncle Eric!_

"Two girls at once, huh?" Eric clearly wasn't going to stop the teasing anytime soon. "I'm so proud of you!" He screamed exaggeratedly attacking Cory in a tight hug. Topanga and I giggled as Cory tried to fight himself off of Eric.

"Let go Eric!" Cory yelled. After a while, Eric let go of his tight embrace with Cory.

"You'll thank me later stud muffin!" Eric said chuckling as he climbed up the stairs. "Chicks like a man with a sensitive side!"

"Please don't tell anybody at school that just happened." Cory pleaded to us.

"Your secret is safe with us." Topanga promised.

* * *

After Mrs. Matthews ran into the kitchen and took out Morgan's flatten out doll from the toaster oven and Cory's attempt to test out Topanga's way of calling his mom "Amy" which did not work, we began the brainstorming.

"I have some ideas on our presentation." Topanga stated.

"So do l." Cory said. "Here's what we do. We hit Feeny hard." He said making a punching motion with his fist. "We hit him fast. The ozone layer- it's got a hole." He took out a red hat and put it on his head. "Wear a hat. We're in, we're out."

Topanga shook her head. "I kind of had a whole different approach to the report. Less conventional, more performance art." She smiled as she got up and took out her boom-box and settled it on the counter.

Cory turned himself to look at what Topanga was doing. "No, please, let's stick to conventional. Conventional's good because no one laughs at conventional." Cory glanced over at me.

"Um, I think he's right. I don't like performing either. I get pretty nervous." It was partially true, I was pretty insecure.

"Read this poem out loud." Topanga said ignoring the both of us as she handed a piece of paper, which she unfolded, to Cory.

"A poem? Please, not a poem." Cory pleaded. Topanga hit the play button on the boom-box. Nature music began playing.

"Sun." Cory read off the paper. Topanga crunch down slightly as she spread her arms upward in a circular motion. "The only. The one." She stretched her hand in front of her and stuck her index figure out. Cory stopped reading for a second and looked up at her with a puzzled look. So did I. "Doughnut in the sky." She put both her hands in the air and made a circle with one hand's fingertips connecting to the other hand's fingertips above her head. "Space. Big gaping place." Topanga took a huge step to the side and opened her arms wide on each side, then stepped back into her normal position, hugged herself, and then spread opened her arms on each side again. "Without. Within, our skin." She leaned a bit over and spread her arms and then hugged herself again. "Doughnut in the sky. Freon. Fluorocarbon." Topanga took out a tube of red lipstick and applied it all over her face. My eyes widened and my mouth hung open in shock. Cory was too busy reading the poem, he didn't seem to notice what Topanga just did. "Humpback whale. So pale." She humped forward and then put the back of her hand against her forehead. "Exhaust. Is all lost?" Topanga knelt down to the floor and put her elbow on top of her knee. Then she got back up. "Doughnut in the sky." Cory concluded as Topanga made the circle again with her hands above her head.

"Yeah," Cory answered finally. "We could all do that in front of the class but before we do, will you just please take a huge baseball bat and hit me over the head?" He said sarcastically.

"You didn't think it had meaning?" Topanga asked in a hurt tone. _Great, here it goes..._

"Yeah, it means we'll be laughed out of school." Cory answered selfishly.

"Why do you care so much what other people think? When people laugh at you they're depleting their own karmic reservoir." _What did that mean?_ Cory made a joke about how she would not shave her legs later on and then they got into their own little discussion about blending in at school. I just observed them, feeling a little invisible. _Did my dad really felt insecure about himself? Did that mean he understands me?_

"I just want to blend in." Cory stated.

"Well, you're sure good at it. You look like all the other plain-wrapped kids at school...except for your red hat." Topanga said taking his red cap from the table. Cory took it out of her hand.

"Hey, I got that on Cap Night. I had to wait an hour in line." He explained. She took the red cap out of his hands.

"Well," She began, scanning the red cap, "if it's important to you... then it's beautiful." She said handing it back to him. He gave her another puzzled look.

"Aw." I cooed out loud accidentally. They both turned to look at me. "Sorry." I smiled sheepishly- embarrassed.

Just then, Shawn barged in through the back kitchen door. "Got the stuff!" He called out as he entered, but when Topanga turned around to look at him with the red lipstick still on her face, he stepped back and looked at her weirdly. "Use a mirror, babe."

"What stuff?" Topanga asked curiously and innocently. I got up from the table and gathered my things, already sensing that things weren't going to go well.

"Let me ask you something. What do you think of my hair? You think it looks good?" Cory asked pointing to his hair.

"It's beautiful, like a desert tumbleweed." Topanga responded with such emotion and passion. Cory rolled his eyes as he packed up Topana's stuff and handed them over to her. Shawn opened the back door.

"Okay. Thank you for those thoughts. Look, Topanga, you want to do this performance thing, you go for it. I'll see you tomorrow." Cory said trying to get rid of Topanga. She asked curiously what Shawn and Cory were going to do now.

"Well, you know how those dolphins get caught in the tuna nets?" Shawn asked in a sad voice.

"Yeah?" Topanga responded.

"It's got nothing to do with that." Shawn said quickly slamming the door in her face. _Wow._

Cory noticed that I was still standing in his kitchen, with a shocked expression shown evidently on my face. "Riley, you should go too." He said gently. "It could get ugly."

"Good luck." I said walking out the door. It took me a while but I eventually found the location of the orphanage. I guess I had to start getting used to coming in and out everyday. For now, it was my home.

* * *

"So then my mom started dancing and she smeared red lipstick all over her face." I told Maya as we were getting ready to go to bed.

"Man, your mom is weird. No offense." Maya said as she climbed up our bunk bed and into her bed. I was afraid of heights so we both mutually decided that I would sleep on the bottom bunk and she would sleep on the top bunk.

"I know. She was raised by hippies. I didn't know that about her."

"There's a lot of things we'll find out about your parents, Riley. Are you ready?" Maya asked turning off the lights. I sighed while I lied on my bed staring up at the bottom of Maya's bed.

I shrugged my shoulders in the dark. "I don't know."

* * *

The next day, I didn't see Cory on the bus. I thought he bailed on the presentation. I saw that I was wrong when I spotted him as I was getting off the bus getting out of his parents' car. He was wearing his red cap. When we were in class and it was time for the presentation, Cory still had the cap on, and he looked really mad.

"Next up for oral reports: Miss Lawrence, Miss Matthews and Mr. Matthews." Mr. Feeny called us up. I got up from my seat as Topanga grabbed her boom-box. Cory didn't move from his seat. "Let's go, Mr. Matthews. Remove your cap and deliver your report."

"I can't remove my cap because our report is on the ozone layer and the cap is part of our UV-protection angle." Cory explained.

"No caps in my class." Mr. Feeny responded not convinced of Cory's excuse. After begging Mr. Feeny to let him keep the cap with failed results, Cory eventually took off the cap. The class burst out in laughter immediately. Cory's hair was way too straightened and his front bangs were sticking out. He looked ridiculous! Even I laughed. Topanga was the only one not laughing. Cory looked at her.

"Go ahead, laugh." He said in a sad voice.

"Your hair looks different. Why would I laugh?"

* * *

Regardless of Cory's hair, we were able to do the presentation with Topanga's poem that day. Cory began to sit at the weirdo table with my mom and Minkus. Again, Maya told me not to do anything because that could affect what would happen in the future, so I was forced to not interfere. That night, I turned to the second page of Shawn's photo album that somehow was able to follow us into the past. There was a picture of Cory with heated curlers in his hair. He looked like he did not want the picture to be taken. Probably Eric took it. I chuckled a little. On the back, it read Thursday, September 16th, 1993. I wondered how Shawn was able to get his hands on the picture.

"Hey Riles." Maya said coming into our bedroom. "What're you looking at?" I showed her the picture. She laughed.

"Have you seen every picture in this book?" I asked.

"No, why?"

"I don't think we should." I said closing the album. "I feel like we would be cheating if we skip ahead."

"Oh, come on Riles. You really believe that? Like something bad would happen to us if we did?"

"Yes." I nodded my head. "What if we accidentally cast a curse on ourselves and my parents don't get together in the end? Then, I'll cease to exist!" I waved my arms around exaggeratedly.

"Calm down, Riley. They're kids. They don't know what love is yet." Maya answered coolly. I still wasn't convinced.

"Maya, do you really believe my parents actually love each other?"

"Of course they do. You'll see Riles, they'll fall for each other in no time." Maya reassured me.

* * *

Friday. Friday afternoon's were the best. It meant freedom. All the kids raced to the door. I was the last one out the classroom with Maya. As we left the classroom, strangely, all of the kids came back in a hurry and headed to the cafeteria.

"What's there problem?" Maya asked. "I thought these kids would run _away_ from the cafeteria food, not go after it and attack it." She joked. I laughed. We walked all the way to the end of the hallway. We were about to make a right turn, but then we stopped when we heard Cory and Topanga voices.

"You're not going to, like, kiss me now, are you?" I peaked my head a little to see Cory and Topanga handcuffed together to a locker. Cory's hair was now in swirls pointing upward. It looked like an ice cream. It also looked like he was panicking.

"Would it be your first kiss?" Topanga asked.

"Hey, don't come near me." Cory warned wiggling his handcuffed hand, struggling to get free from Topanga.

"Because it would be interesting if all your life you remembered that your first kiss happened when you thought you looked weird, wouldn't it?" She teased.

"No, it wouldn't be interesting. Get away." He tried to shoo her away with his other handcuffed hand. A frightening look remained on his face.

"Because then you'd know. It's not what you look like on the outside that matters. It's what kind of person you are." Topanga continue to say despite Cory's struggle.

"You shouldn't kiss somebody you're not married to." He smiled weakly.

"Hmm. Yeah." She said putting the one hand she wasn't handcuffed on her hip and looked like she was in deep thought. "I would have to feel I really knew the person." She dropped her hand from her hip. "And that I liked him." She smiled to herself.

"Good." Cory sighed in relief.

"Good." Topanga put her hand on her hip again. Suddenly and unexpectedly, Topanga pushed Cory up against the locker, leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. When she pulled away, a shock expression was written all over his face. His eyes popped out of his head, and his lips sat in a tight straight line on his face. "It was my first one, too." Topanga confessed. _Wow, I just witnessed my parents' first kiss._

I was instantly brought back to a time when my mom once told me, as she was dressed up as 'hippie Topanga' and I was dressed up as the biggest geek in the world, "_This is who I am inside. __It's the part of me your father fell in love with a long time ago."_

And suddenly, all of the worrying and distress that they wouldn't get together washed over me. I smiled in relief.

* * *

**Wow, that was the longest chapter that I've written so far. I hope it's good for you guys. Tell me what you think in a review! As you can clearly see, "Stacey" won't be mentioned in this story simply because it kind of ruins the accuracy and continuity of this story. On another note, I was so happy when Harley called Cory "Johnny Baboon" in Friday's episode, Girl Meets Flaws! Certainly one of my favorite episodes and one of the best of the season, wouldn't you say? Again, I'm super excited with all of the feedback that I've been getting. Keep it up, and I'll see you all next week!**

**Quote of the week:**

"All my life, I've heard about how much potential I have and what I'm capable of. And I used to think it wasn't much, but now I do." **-Eric Matthews**

**-Mimi1239**


	6. How'd You Get Detention in Art?

**It's almost inexplicable the way you guys make me feel when I read all of the reviews you leave me. Joy, happiness, excitement, motivation? Certainly all of those. But I also get this warm feeling inside, and this little voice in my head telling me I can do anything, because you guys make me believe that I can :) This is now the sixth chapter. Wow, time flies very fast. How'd You Get Detention in Art? centers mainly on Maya and Riley's life inside the orphanage and Boy Meets World's episodes Killer Bees and Boy II Mensa. For those of you who have watched Boy II Mensa, remember at the beginning of the episode, after the theme song, Cory comes out of detention and Shawn is waiting for him? And apparently Shawn got detention in art and that was why he was still at school? Guess how I figured this connection: Shawn + Maya = Detention in Art. It's been in my head ever since I came up with the idea for this story. Hopefully it turned out better than I thought it would. This means that I will be exploring the relationship/similarities between Maya and Shawn especially in this chapter. I'd like to give a shout-out to all of those who reviewed my last chapter: OTHFAN26, Guest, Pebblemist of LightClan, jenna323.m, Broadwaygirl21, Ju****natina, LoveShipper, and Glee Clue Rock1251. Thanks guys! You are the reason I love what I do!**

**Story time!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

Maya's Point of View

_**Tuesday, October 12th, 1993, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time 11:20 A.M**_

Three weeks after Riley and I first walked through the halls of Jefferson Elementary, we were given back our first geography test with our marks printed in Mr. Feeny's neat red-marker handwriting. _B-_, was the mark displayed on the top left-hand corner of my geography test. A foreign mark to me, because I never got anything higher than a C plus, and that was after I redid a History test orally with Mr. Matthews at Riley's apartment. Riley shifted her body to face me with a huge grin plastered on her face after Mr. Feeny dropped off her test on her desk.

"What'd you get?" Riley asked the most famous and well-known question _every _kid asks after they get a test back, to me.

"B-." I said in a low whisper. Riley excitedly showed me her paper. A-.

"Great job Maya." Riley smiled proudly at me before she turned back to the front of the classroom. Shawn leaned over to look at my test and then he smirked.

"Good job nerd." Shawn teased.

I scoffed. "Okay genius, what'd _you _get?" I challenged him.

"D-, and I don't care really. I'll probably end up working at my Uncle Mike's Motorcycle Repair Shop." Wow, did Shawn really think that low of himself? Was this the same Shawn Hunter who used to nag me to get my homework done every night and encouraged me to do better in school? What happened to the writer?

"W-What about writing? Literature, poetry, don't you like any of that stuff?" He gave me a disgusted look.

"I _hate _poetry. It's a waste of time. Only wimps like poetry and writing." I raised an eyebrow. Maybe I shouldn't have asked that. No wonder Riley's mom said Shawn was never always a writer.

"Why did I get a 'C'?" Cory complained to Mr. Feeny after he handed back his geography test.

"Let's see. Where to begin." Mr. Feeny answered flipping Cory's test to the first page. "Well, for one thing, Mr. Matthews this section of the map is not East Germany." Mr Feeny pointed at the map for Cory to see.

"It's not?" Cory asked.

"Perhaps you heard of a little incident with the Berlin Wall?"

"Was that during baseball season?" Cory asked. I almost couldn't hold in my laughter.

Mr. Feeny shook his head. "There is no East Germany anymore."

"But the textbook says it's right next to West Germany." Cory insisted pointing at the map in the textbook.

"Yes, well, the textbook also says that Alaska and Hawaii will make fine states someday. Things change, Mr. Matthews."

* * *

Before class ended that day, Mr. Feeny announced that he would be taking Minkus to some regional geography tournament. As the bell rung and I got to leave the classroom, I could hear Cory telling Shawn about his 'great' plan of how to convince Mr. Feeny to take _him _to the geography tournament and win first place to be bat boy for the opening game of the World Series. Whatever that meant. Boys were a lot different than girls, I realized then.

Riley and I took the school bus home as we had been doing ever since we started school. We were greeted by Nurse Millar as we passed by her office on our way to our room. The orphanage was fairly small and new, and that was the reason why we were given a room for just the two of us to share instead of rooming with like fifteen other kids in the same room. In the mornings and evenings, we ate with all of the other orphanage kids at the breakfast table. Most of the kids were very young, and there were about twenty of us in total. Ricky, Nurse Millar's assistant, and a new troubled girl named Martha, were the only kids that were near our age.

"How was school? Have you made any friends yet?" The cheery young nurse asked us as she stepped outside of her office and locked the door behind her.

I shrugged my shoulder. "Sort of." I responded simply. "Riley got an A- on her geography test."

"That's nice." Ms. Millar smiled at Riley. Then she turned to me. "What'd you get?"

"B-. I was surprised really. Mr. Feeny marks hard. Right Riley?"

"Yeah." She agreed. "I don't know how my da- I mean, a-all of my classmates have survived having him as a teacher. He's tough." I mentally face palmed myself. Riley almost blew our cover!

"Well, there will be teachers like that. But you are good girls, so don't worry about that. You'll be alright." Nurse Millar reassured. Riley entered our room but I remained in the same spot. "Is something wrong?" Nurse Millar asked looking very concerned when she saw I wasn't following Riley inside our room.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you about the new girl, Martha. She's been giving us dirty looks ever since she got here. She's not like- dangerous or anything, right?" Martha, the new orphan who just moved in last week had the room all to herself at the end of the corridor. The little orphan kids were scared of her because she was bigger and looked a lot older than fourteen, which was supposedly her age. She just started going to John Adams High a few days ago and she was barely in the seventh grade.

"I can't give any personal background on any of my kids. She is a troubled girl, so just try not to cause any problems with her. And if she starts to get aggressive or say anything mean to you two, come and see me immediately and I'll handle it." I nodded my head understandingly. Nurse Millar was a really good problem solver. She did remind me of someone, but I just couldn't put my finger on it.

I walked into the bedroom and found Riley staring at the closed photo album that managed to follow us to the past lying on top of Riley's neat and tidied made bed. I rolled my eyes as I snatched the book from her bed.

"It's just a book. Would it hurt us if we looked inside? The last time we opened this was like two weeks ago, and they were just Cory and Shawn's school yearbook pictures." Clearly nothing had changed between us in the past three weeks since we got here. I was still the rebellious and risk-taker one and she was still the goody-goody one.

She shook her head furiously. "I can't! Okay, this is what we're going to do. I'm going to tape the book under my bed and we _won't _open it until it's an emergency. I just want this book out of sight and out of mind." Riley said grabbing the tape and crawled under her bed. I chuckled to myself as I opened the door to make my way to the dinner table for supper. I stopped abruptly when I saw Martha in front of the door with her arms crossed in front of her chest. I had to look up to see her face which surprise surprise, she had on a big frown. She was at _least _5'7.

"Twerps, Millar send me to get you two for supper." She said trying to look inside the room. As Riley crawled out of her bed, a puzzled look formed on Martha's face. "What the hell are you losers doing?"

"Um, nothing! Nothing's wrong here!" Riley said nervously as she dusted herself off. Martha blocked the doorway with her body just as we were about to leave our room.

"I'm watching you guys." Martha warned pointing at us. "Just so you know, you can't fool me, I know when there's something fishy going on here." A few seconds later, she walked away from us. I could feel chills running down my back, and I could tell the same was happening to Riley.

"Don't worry. It's okay." I said patting her back as I tried to comfort her when I saw the look of horror on Riley's face. We made our way to the supper table. Nurse Millar sat at the head of the table. We said a little prayer before we ate. Martha was sitting at the far end of the table. Ricky, Riley and I were sitting close to Nurse Millar who saw nothing wrong was going on. The little kids ate in silence. Nurse Millar always tried to make conversation, but it was no use. As we were all nearly done with our meals, Martha got up from the table without excusing herself. Simultaneously, Riley stretched her leg out and without meaning to, caused Martha to trip as she was walking by. A shock expression showed in Riley's face, her eyes widened, and she gasped as she watched Martha tumble to the ground. The kids began to laugh.

"I'm so sorry!" Riley instantaneously apologized. "I didn't mean to do that! It was stupid-" Riley tried to explain before Martha cut her off as she lifted herself off the floor.

"You little bit-" She almost said, but then realized Nurse Millar was right there, waiting for her destructive reaction. When she realized she was incapable of doing anything to Riley while Nurse Millar was there, Martha huffed in defeat and stomped up to her room. I only slightly sighed in relief, knowing very well that Martha would find her way to get back at Riley and me.

* * *

Two days later, Mr. Feeny handed us our book reports back from last Friday. "Wow," I accidentally said out loud when Mr. Feeny said I did a good job and I saw the mark on my paper. B+! _Okay, this is ridiculous._ I thought to myself. _Two B's in a row?_ During lunch, I hung back because I wanted to talk to Mr. Feeny.

"Yes, Miss Hart?" Feeny said turning around from writing on the chalkboard to face me when he realized I wanted to talk.

"Why two B's?" I asked incredulously. "These are the highest marks I've ever gotten in my life." It was true.

"Well, Miss Hart, I could tell you believe you don't deserve these marks, perhaps because of where you come from."

"Wait...you know about the orphanage?" I asked, shocked.

"Of course I know. I am given the right to check for your background, but of course everything is confidential." He reassured. "I can tell by your structure and the way you express yourself in your report, you have learned quite a lot." I smiled to myself proudly. The only way I was able to get the kind of marks I was getting was because of Mr. Matthews' and Shawn's help. "I understand you haven't been in school for a few years. How have managed to keep up with the curriculum?" Coincidentally, Cory and Shawn past by the classroom chasing each other through the halls like the kids they were. Mr. Feeny walked quickly to the door to yell, "No running in the halls!" But they were already gone. I smiled to myself.

"Let's just say...I had some really good teachers."

* * *

Art class had always been my favorite class ever since I discovered I could draw. Once, Riley encouraged me to put up my work in display for the whole school to see back in the beginning of the year in the seventh grade. I refused to because I knew that my mom wouldn't come see it even if I begged her to. Riley, being Riley, interfered anyway and got my art work displayed. Now that I thought about it, if it weren't for Riley trying to always fix everything, I don't think I would have bothered with art.

Shawn Hunter was in my art class. Riley said she had chemistry with Cory and Topanga. What a coincidence! Shawn and I sat beside each other and he mostly teased me about everything I did. That day, I just had enough.

"Okay class," Mrs. Engles, the art teacher beginning her class by walking up to the front of the classroom and stood beside an object with a towel over it. "We will be drawing fruit. Grab your brushes and begin!" The middle aged woman said taking off the towel off of the object revealing a bowl of fruit. Well, she was no Ms. Kossa for sure. "I'll be back in just a minute. I need to get more paint." The art teacher said before she left the classroom. Shawn rolled his eyes.

"I don't even know why we have art. It's not like we're gonna use it in life." Shawn complained. Oh, the irony in this situation.

"Hunter, I love art. Don't dis the things I love." I responded grabbing my brush and started painting the bowl of the picture. Shawn kept staring at me, he wouldn't start his work. After a while, I had enough of him staring at me. "What?" I blurted out.

His smile was mischievous. "You got a little paint, _right _there." Shawn said standing up and grabbed his paint brush brushing it gently against my nose. I touched my nose with my finger tips and looked at it. Red paint. _Oh, it's on._

I dipped my brush in blue and leaned over to brush it against Shawn's forehead. Shawn didn't hold back. He grabbed a tube of paint and squirted it all over my hand-me-down clothes. I gasped out loud. Suddenly, everybody began to throw paint at each other. It was like a food fight, but with paint. It reminded me of the time Riley and I had a paint fight in Ms. Kossa's class. This time, it was with Shawn, and a bunch of kids I didn't know. The fight lasted about a minute before Mrs. Engles came back. She gasped and clutched her hand on her chest.

"What happened here! Who is responsible for this mess?!" The cheery art teacher was no longer cheerful. The room was filled with colorful paint splattered everywhere. I looked around. Everybody was covered in paint from head to toe, including Shawn and me. Everybody pointed their fingers immediately at Shawn and me. _Oh boy._

* * *

After a strong lecture from our beloved principal Mr. Reese about using the school supplies for education purposes only and not for fooling around and making a mess everywhere, we were released, except, we were given a week's worth of detention.

"Thanks for the detention Hunter. Great way to end off a week." I said dryly as we walked through the hallways, both of us covered in dry paint.

"No problem. I do this favor for people all the time." He answered sarcastically as we made our way to Mr. Feeny's classroom door. Cory came out just as we arrived. He had detention with Mr. Feeny, apparently.

"You waited for me?" Cory asked Shawn happily. I guess he didn't notice we were both clearly drenched in paint. Shawn looked from me to Cory before he responded.

"Am I not your best friend?" Shawn answered smiling convincingly. I rolled my eyes. Cory then realized the truth.

"You had detention, too, didn't you?" Shawn nodded.

"Oh, yeah. Mrs. Engles nailed me."

Cory looked at us up and down. "What is this? How'd you get detention in art?"

"Well, that's what makes me one of the greats." Shawn bragged with a smirk.

"We had a paint fight." I answered. "It got a little out of hand."

"Cool." Cory said nodding and smiling.

After Cory left when he found some answers to the IQ test we were supposed to take the next day, I then realized something, I couldn't go back to the orphanage drenched in paint! I would probably get in a lot of trouble for having a fight at school and getting detention.

"So, Hunter. What's your plan now? I can't go back to my place like this. And it's your fault we got into this mess." I didn't say _orphanage _because only some teachers and the principal knew where Riley and I were from. I didn't need the whole world knowing I didn't have a real home. It was a little embarrassing, honestly.

"You can come to my place?" Shawn suggested after a while. I nodded in agreement. We walked all the way to Shawn's place, the trailer park. "So what do you think?" Shawn asked me curiously as I looked around his place when we finally arrived.

"I like it. Honestly, I do." It was the truth. I thought trailer park life was pretty cool. "Where're your parents?" Shawn pointed his thumb at the door.

"Out. They usually don't come back until like midnight." Shawn said shrugging his shoulders like it was no big deal.

"Midnight?" I questioned. "What do you do for food?"

"Well, I spend most of my time at Cory's place. His parents are very welcoming people." I nodded my head in agreement.

"I know. Riley's parents were very welcoming people as well." Shawn gave me a puzzled look.

"What do you mean 'were'?" My eyes widened.

"Did I say were? I mean they still are." Again, I mentally face-palmed myself. "It's just that, we both live with Riley's grandparents." What was I saying? "They adopted me." Shawn nodded slowly, looking very confused. "Um, so how do I get this paint off my clothes?" I asked looking down at my stained clothes. Shawn ran inside the hallway and came back holding a pile of dried clothes.

"These are my mom's old clothes. She was gonna throw them out so you can keep them." I smiled gratefully as I grabbed the pile.

"Where's your bathroom?" Shawn pointed to a door down the hall.

"Right in there."

I walked inside the small and crowded bathroom, locking the door and testing to make sure the lock worked. I came out wearing a pair of ripped up old jeans and a simple t-shirt that was a little big on me and I carried with me my painted clothes. By the time I entered the kitchen, Shawn was already changed too.

"Hey thanks for the clothes. I'll be heading out now." I said walking backwards about to leave before Shawn stopped me.

"Wait. What do you really think of this place? The trailer park, I mean."

"I think it's cool. Don't worry about it." He was really insecure about where he lived. What if I just told him I lived in an orphanage? _Nah, perhaps I shouldn't._

He smiled. "You're the only girl who's ever said that. Probably because you're the first girl I've ever brought over here." He said blushing a little. I chuckled shaking my head.

Before I walked out, I said, "See you tomorrow in detention, Hunter."

* * *

**Author's Note: Apparently there is a month-long hiatus for Girl Meets World. Next episode premieres on November 21st. I wonder which one? I don't really mind since I know that the holiday episode is getting near, but all I know is that it premieres in December. As you can probably tell by now, Shawn's photo album has a very significant meaning to this story and it is essential to how Riley and Maya guide their way through this entire mess and help Cory and Shawn make better decisions for themselves. In this chapter, I explored Nurse Millar's character a little more, added in a new character, Martha, and as I have said before, Nurse Millar's character is very important in Girl Meets World. Both Riley and Maya haven't figured out why yet and that will be revealed probably in the next couple of weeks. Stick with this story, it'll get very interesting! Read, follow, favorite, and review!**

**Quote of the week:**

"That's what life is about Cory. You spend your time searching for something to give your life meaning." **-Alan Matthews**

**-Mimi1239**


	7. The Diary of a Young Girl

**Happy Belated Halloween! This upcoming Tuesday is my birthday and this chapter lines up perfectly with this special week because I just love Anne Frank, I've watched her movie and I was like the only person who finished reading her diary in my 9th grade English class. I was so eager to read her book even before then and it just coincide with having to actually read the book in that class. (For those of you who don't know Anne Frank, she was a teenage Jewish girl who hid with her family and a few other people in her father's work building for about three years in WWII and wrote in a diary during her time in hiding). Anyway, this chapter centers around Teacher's Bet. You're gonna see racism and prejudice targeted particularly toward one specific character. Read and find out! I want to hear your thoughts, comments, and suggestions for this chapter in the review section so please take the time to do so. I know there are some of you that have reviewed every chapter so far, but I am curious to hear of what the rest of you think! It doesn't have to be long, and I do take into consideration everything that you guys say. Someone suggested that I do something a while back and that suggestion will be fulfilled in this chapter! I'd like to give a shout out to the people who reviewed my previous chapter: Camz, L.H, Broadwaygirl21, OTHFAN26, Pebblemist of LightClan, ultrablud2, demi-wolf3T, popie92, jenna323.m, LoveShipper, and Glee Clue Rock 1251.  
**

**Updated note (published on December 29th, 2014): I just received a review on this chapter by a rude Guest who stated that I was using the "n" word in this chapter like if it were "a toy". Whoever this reader is, I just want to say I don't take using the "n" word very lightly, in fact, it was very difficult for me to write this chapter because of the content in it. If you don't like this story for any other reason, well then I simply respect your decision. But if it is for this reason, I will not stand for it. I was raised to respect other people's RACE and ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS. In fact, I do not swear at all because I simply choose not to. Although I am NOT RACIST and do not try to be in any way with this chapter, in reality, when we look around our surroundings, other people in the world are racist and they say offensive things we cannot change and that's what I'm trying to show in THIS CHAPTER! I, myself know and am very aware this language is offensive and would never include it unless I was trying to prove a point. Please, if you are an evolved person, you would understand what I'm trying to do here. Clearly, this person is not evolved at all. I am not asking for hate. Why do you think Cory used the word "wop" in this episode? To make fun of Shawn? Of course not! He was trying to prove a point! So in conclusion, I apologize to those who believe I have offended them. It was not intended. I do believe in an equal and just society and that's the message I intend to display with this chapter. So please read and review it with kind and understanding hearts!**

**WARNING: A few offensive terms and language in this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

Riley's Point of View

_**Monday, November 8th, 1993, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 3:00 P**__**.M**_

Halloween came and went. Maya and I decided not to dress up this year because we would only be helping out pass out candy to the little brave kids that came knocking on the orphanage door. Not many kids came, so instead of letting all of the candy go to waste, Nurse Millar reluctantly gave out all of the left over candy to the orphanage kids. There was particularly one little black orphan girl who was always so quiet. She was seven years old and my parents told me that when I was seven, I never shut up. Everyday, her hair was neatly braided by Nurse Millar, and she always carried an old stuffed brown teddy bear that was given to her by donation. She took it everywhere she went. She never wanted to let go of that toy. Her name, I was told, was Matilda. The little girl never smiled, but it looked like she was always so deep in thought. When I handed out a simple candy bar to her on Halloween, her eyes sort of lit up and I could tell she was grateful.

It was a rare treat to see all of the orphanage kids so happy, and regardless of it only being temporarily, it was enough for now.

About a week after Halloween, Mr. Feeny handed out the Diary of Anne Frank to the class. I had never actually read the book before, but I remember my dad talking about it a lot before he became my history teacher. He never actually told me why he was so fixated on the book so much, or maybe he did but I was never really paying attention. Now, I regretted that.

"This week in social studies we'll be talking about prejudice," Mr. Feeny announced as he took a hold of a pile of books on his desk.

"Good, 'cause I'm prejudiced against the scungy food in the cafeteria," Cory joked and gave Shawn a high five as the class roared in laughter. Mr. Feeny, I could tell, didn't find what Cory said remotely amusing but he ignored it anyway.

"We will be discussing black slavery in the American South, the Jews in Nazi Germany, and several examples of prejudice throughout history," Mr. Feeny continued with his announcement as he passed out all the books down the rows. "Tonight your assignment is to read the first 30 pages of that book," he concluded just as I received my book and passed one down to Maya.

"Aw, man, it's a book about some girl," Cory bummed once he took a look at the cover of the book. The bell rung and everybody got up to leave the classroom.

"Mr. Matthews-" Mr. Feeny was cut off.

"I'll read it anyway. I'll do my homework, really," Cory said quickly so that he wouldn't get into more trouble. He stood up and walked over to Mr. Feeny's desk. _Great, the usual. My dad getting in trouble with the teacher again._

I walked out of the classroom right then so I didn't hear anything else said between Mr. Feeny and Cory. As Maya and I arrived at our lockers to get our things and go home, I noted how carelessly Maya just tossed the Diary of Anne Frank into her locker and slammed it shut. I gasped in shock.

"What are you doing Maya? Mr. Feeny wants us to actually _read _the book. Like, having it physically present and flipping through the pages," I explained sarcastically. Maya just shook her head.

"I don't want to be known as 'Nerdy Maya' anymore."

"Who calls you that?"

Maya scoffed, "Almost everybody in the whole class. Look, the good grades that I've been getting doesn't go with those detentions with Shawn that I had for the paint fight in art class. I have to be one or the other. Besides, it's just prejudice, it happened a long time ago." Maya shrugged her shoulders off coolly and made her way outside the school. We both knew how lame that excuse was, but for the first time in a long time, I didn't try to change things. I left Maya the way she was.

We met up with Shawn at the bus stop. Ever since Cory got a new bike, he stopped riding the school bus with us. We couldn't blame him anyway.

"Hey Hunter. Do you know what happened to Cory?" Maya asked being her cool self. Shawn shook his head.

"Nope, but here he comes," Shawn said pointing to his best friend who was riding his new bike very quickly coming towards us. Cory stopped his bike once he got to us and jumped off excitedly.

"Guess what? Mr. Feeny's making _me _the teacher for the rest of the week! Isn't that great?!" Cory asked jumping up and down. _Oh, the irony..._Mr. Feeny made my dad of all students the teacher. I realized there had to be a catch to it.

"Hey, that's cool," Shawn congratulated Cory slapping him on the arm. "I'll bring the poker cards tomorrow, right? Because there's actually not going to be any real learning, right?"

"Well, I do have to give out a test on Friday, but who cares!" Cory said jumping up and down again with Shawn. I rolled my eyes. Maya grinned wide.

"Awesome, so that means we don't have to read the boring book after all!"

"I think we should still read the book-" I was cut off.

"Well, you see, Feeny and I made a bet, and if more students pass than usual, I get one fifth of his weekly paycheck and I get to keep my bike." Cory motioned to his shiny, scratch-less new bike.

"You made a bet with Mr. Feeny?" I asked. Cory nodded. "It's a trap. Mr. Feeny's just testing you because he knows you won't teach anything, slack off, and the class will go into chaos."

"Riley, you sound like Minkus right now." Shawn said making a disgusted face.

"The class'll listen to me. Teaching is easy. _Us _students have the hard part." Cory was actually convinced he was going to win the bet? Wow, I instinctively knew things were not going to go well.

"Fine," I said giving up as I shrugged my shoulders. The school bus came and I got on it. Shawn and Maya followed closely behind me. "But you have been warned." I said to Cory before the doors closed and he got on his bike and rode home.

* * *

Maya and I were dropped off at the orphanage. Nurse Millar wasn't there yet because she had to go and pick up the younger orphan kids from their elementary school. She would come with like fifteen of them holding their hands protectively. Despite Nurse Millar being in her mid to late twenties, if you actually saw the way she cared and protected all the orphan kids, you would possibly believe they were all her children. That was how much she showed affection toward them, and even to us older kids who you would think she wouldn't show she cared for us because we were older and didn't really need it that much, but nevertheless, she did.

I checked the time in our room. 3:34 P.M. That meant Nurse Millar would be back soon and she would start getting everything prepared for dinner. It was only Martha, Ricky, Maya, and me who always arrived to the orphanage from school before Nurse Millar and the children since we were the oldest and we all took the bus.

"Hey," Ricky greeted knocking on our already opened door. I was laying down on my bed reading the fifth page of the Anne Frank book, and Maya was sketching something on her top bunk.

"What is it Rick?" Maya asked. Ricky was our only orphan friend since Martha hated our guts, especially since I accidentally tripped her at supper a few weeks ago. I think she was still planning her revenge in her room but she hadn't done anything to us yet. I had nightmares sometimes. Yes, I was scared for dear life of her. I was paranoid.

Ricky gently and cautiously closed the door behind him. "I think Martha's planning something big for you guys. I don't know what yet, but I think you guys better watch out." Ricky warned. Maya jumped off her bunk bed and landed on the floor.

"Don't worry about us Ricky. She probably has voodoo dolls of us and if she's sticking needles inside us, it really won't hurt us." Maya assured patting Ricky on his shoulder. Ricky was very protective of us, regardless of him being the same age as us. He was a good friend.

"Maya will protect me, right?" I said trying to sound confident that Martha could never really do any harm to us. Maya nodded.

"Of course Riles. No doubt."

A few minutes later, I needed to use the bathroom. The problem was that the bathroom was literally right beside Martha's room. Why did I get myself into these types of predicaments? Who knew, really. I couldn't hold it any longer and forcing Maya to come with me would be extremely weird. I decided to take my chances and flew to the bathroom, locking the door behind me. Once I finished my business, I slowly opened the bathroom door and looked around the hallway. No Martha. All I thought about were her voodoo dolls and how she was probably sticking needles in them at that moment. I cautiously walked out of the bathroom. I turned myself to glance at Martha's closed door, and she was suddenly standing right in front of me! I jumped.

"Boo," Martha said bitterly. "Don't you love Halloween?"

"H-Halloween is o-over." I trembled. I could tell how amused Martha was by how scared I was by her.

"Not quite yet. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve," Martha smirked. "And you're my target," she said stepping closer and closer toward me. I closed my eyes shut, but a few seconds later, I felt nothing. I peaked my eyes to see Nurse Millar standing in front of me. Martha was nowhere to be seen.

"Did Martha harm you? Are you okay Riley?" Nurse Millar asked concernedly. I nodded.

"I'm okay. Thank you for showing up. Why does she hate me so much?"

"She carries a lot of baggage from her past. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you what she's been through. Please just try to avoid her. I'll make sure she doesn't hurt any of you." I nodded in agreement. "Now, I surely won't let anything further go from what I almost saw a few minutes ago, so I want you to come with me and pick up all of the little kids from school everyday after school from now on." I smiled excitedly.

"Great! I love little kids!"

* * *

The very next day at school, Cory got up in front of the class after he finished talking to Mr. Feeny about the rules of the bet. He began to walk slowly around the classroom with his hands behind his back, his red baseball cap inside his back pocket and a wide smirk spread across his face.

"Good morning, class," he said. "For the rest of the week I'm going to be your social studies teacher."

"Mr. Feeny? What's going on?" Minkus said hyperventilating while looking at Mr. Feeny who was sitting in Cory's seat, right beside me.

"Don't ask me. He's the man in charge." Mr. Feeny responded pointing at Cory who still had that smirk on his face.

"That's right, Minkus, my boy. Me. I'm your new teacher, and my name is Hey Dude." Cory said writing "Hey Dude" on the board with big and funny-looking letters. Mr. Feeny raised an eyebrow. Maya grinned widely.

"Oh man, I love this new teacher already," she said out loud as she placed her hands behind her head and laid back on her chair.

"That all right with you George?" Cory asked pointing at Mr. Feeny's name tag that was still sitting on his desk.

"Mi clase es su clase." Mr. Feeny answered in a monotone voice. I rolled my eyes. After Cory eliminated the cap rule and put on his red cap on his head, Topanga raised up her hand.

"Topanga," Cory said.

"If we're going to eliminate the cap rule can we also discard the dress code in its entirety?"

"Why? You're not thinking about showing up like, naked tomorrow, are you?" Cory asked disgusted. The classroom oohed, especially the boys.

"No. Although I find nothing shameful about nudity." Topanga stated with a straight and serious face. Wow, hippie Topanga was a lot different from my mom. Mom always had something on and very seldom did she walk around the apartment in only a towel, and that was only when the boys weren't home and it was just the two of us. Not even when she was in a hurry to get to her work when she was running late did she leave the bathroom with only a towel on. "I was thinking about wearing garments from cultures more in tune with the goddess. A sari, perhaps, or a pareo."

"Yeah, fine. As long as you're covered up." I think my future dad would have liked hippie Topanga more than my future mom if you know what I mean.

"Maya, you know how to play poker?" Shawn asked pulling out a deck of cards from his backpack.

Maya scoffed, "Do I know it? _I_ invented the game," she claimed.

"Yeah? Let's see," Shawn challenged. Maya accepted the challenge by moving her desk closer to Shawn's.

"People, people, people. Are we going to do our social studies work today?" Minkus asked.

"Minkus, Minkus, Minkus. Shut up." Shawn mocked.

"Cory, I think we should be learning. What are we going to do for the rest of the period?" I asked. Cory shrugged his shoulders.

"Uhh, let's see..." he said lazily flipping through some pages of the Anne Frank book. "For homework tonight read the first 30 pages in whatever that book was that George assigned us yesterday."

"The Diary of Anne Frank." I corrected.

"Yeah, whatever."

"But that was the assignment last night." Minkus argued.

"Minkus, get a life. That's your homework assignment. Get a life." Cory said slowly as if Minkus couldn't understand a word Cory was saying without saying it slowly.

* * *

The rest of that period was a disaster. Cory did nothing but talk to Shawn and Maya, and Mr. Feeny did nothing but remain in Cory's seat observing the class' behavior, but not doing anything about it. I spend the entire class time reading the Diary of Anne Frank. Minkus was making paper airplanes and Topanga was mediating, or trying to summon up the dead. I wasn't sure. By the time school ended, I was more than half way done the book.

I ran all the way to the elementary school of the orphan kids and met up with Nurse Millar after school. She and the kids were waiting for me there. I got there almost out of breath.

"I'm here! Sorry I'm late. My school's pretty far, but I don't mind doing this everyday." I apologized as quickly as I could to Nurse Millar while still huffing and puffing.

"It's alright Riley. Get here as soon as you can. My children are very patient," she responded. "Here, take Matilda's hand," I looked down at the little black quiet girl with the stuffed teddy bear she clutched tightly against her chest, and with my eyes I asked for permission to hold her hand. Matilda slightly nodded. "We will take the bus today." Nurse Millar announced.

Getting on a bus with fifteen little kids to take care of was a lot easier said than done. It was like taking a classroom on a field trip. I wondered then how Mr. Feeny was able to handle Cory and Shawn and their shenanigans all day long in school. And on top of that, Mr. Feeny _lived_ next to Cory, and Shawn was always at Cory's house. It must get pretty crazy at the Matthews' clan.

First we had to make all of the kids were safely on the bus before both of us got on. Thankfully, there were only three people riding the bus other than us and that was very strange since there would usually be a lot of people riding the bus trying to get home. All of the kids were able to find a seat. Matilda hung closely beside me cuddling with her teddy bear, and despite all of the kids already let go of each other's hands since we were all on the bus safely, Matilda was still, with her little tiny hand, clutching on to my hand and she wouldn't let go.

* * *

"You did good with Matilda today Riley. She usually doesn't like any of the other helpers but she seems to be very drawn to you. Keep it up Riley," Nurse Millar congratulated me after practically everybody finished dinner and we were all getting ready to go to bed.

"Thank you," I cheerfully said. "Hey, do you think I can bring Maya tomorrow? There's a lot of kids and we need all the help we can get." Nurse Millar agreed.

"That's a great idea. 'Night Riley." Nurse Millar was about to turn in for the night, but I stopped her as she was about to enter her bedroom.

"Wait. Nurse...Millar."

"Yes, my dear?"

"What's your name? Like your first name? I've never heard any of the kids use it before. I don't believe they even know it." The young black nurse gave me a puzzled look, and then she broke into a light chuckle.

"I just go by Millar. That's all you need to know about me. Goodnight child." She gently shut the door behind her. _Why did she look so familiar?_

* * *

Cory's second day as a teacher was a hundred times more disastrous than the first day. Topanga had moved her desk and was sitting on a yoga cushion, Minkus was sitting on a bouncy ball, Shawn and Maya were sitting playing poker, Mr. Feeny wasn't even in class, and most of the students were throwing crumpled paper and paper airplanes around the whole classroom. It was frightening!

Cory walked up to the front of the classroom. "I know things got a little loose here yesterday but we've got a test day after tomorrow and it's time to get down to business," he said. The kids didn't stop. "Let's start with the roll call." Cory got out the attendance sheet and began reading from the bottom of the list. "Lawrence, Topanga."

"I'm channeling," Topanga said in a meditation position with her legs crossed and her arms resting on her knees. "I will only answer to the name 'mmaoww'," she widen her eyes and made a very weird growling sound. Cory backed up away from her, obviously creeped out by hippie and now possessed Topanga.

"Okay, present, but not all here. Hunter, Shawn." No answer. Cory was starting to get annoyed. He looked up from the attendance. "Hunter, Shawn," he said louder walking up to Shawn who was concentrated on his card game with Maya.

"Out of my face. I'm stacking the deck," Shawn responded. Cory sighed.

"Hart, Maya," Cory called.

"Yeah, I'm here," Maya answered, her eyes buried in her set of cards. Just then Mr. Feeny walked in, and oh my god. He was wearing a Phillies shirt with a matching baseball cap, _and _he was chewing gum! Mr. Feeny was Cory!

"Hey, dude. Sorry I'm late. I was chillin' with my homies." Mr. Feeny explained as he sat on top of his desk and turned to face Shawn and Maya. "I'm in." He took out pieces of candy out of his pocket. Cory walked up to the front of the classroom and sat down on Mr. Feeny's chair. I got up from my seat and walked up to Cory.

"Listen, didn't I tell you things would get out of control if you didn't set the rules straight from the beginning? Now nobody's taking you seriously. Even Mr. Feeny," I said motioning to the trio playing poker.

"I see your Juicy Fruit and I raise you a Chiclet." I could hear Mr. Feeny say behind me.

"You have to do something Cory, or you're going to lose that bike for sure." Cory rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"I know! But nobody's listening to me. You got any ideas?" I shrugged my shoulders. Maya came up from behind me and tapped me on the shoulder.

"Hey Riles, Cory, watch this!" Maya got on top of Mr. Feeny's desk giggling, and guess what she did? She danced on top of it and scatted while the entire class watched encouraged her, cheering her on.

"Maya!" I yelled in shock. The entire class kept clapping as she continued to dance on top of Mr. Feeny's desk. Cory sighed in defeat as he was still sitting in Mr. Feeny's chair. I pulled Maya down from the desk.

"Riley, what are you doing? Come on, let's dance! Let's play poker, come on, I know you want to!" Maya was crazy. She was giggling like a maniac. And although she was doing all of those things, and I knew how wrong this all was, I still hesitated. I glanced over at Cory, who still had a sad and defeated look on his face.

"Cory, do you think prejudice still exists?" I asked. He shook his head.

"No." That two letter word was all it took for me to give up the Anne Frank book and join the poker gang.

* * *

After school, Maya and I made it to the elementary school just on time. Nurse Millar and the children were waiting for us as they had waited for me yesterday.

"Let's go," Nurse Millar ordered. "Maya, you grab on to two children, and Riley, take Matilda's hand." Matilda gave me her hand, no hesitation. She sort of smile and I could see her baby teeth, and even a gap in her front teeth. Aw! She was so cute!

We all made it into the bus. The problem was that this time, there were loads of people already packed inside the bus. We all tried to squeeze in as much as possible. Matilda grasped her hand with mine as tightly as she possible could. I was afraid I would lose her. She was so small that with the ton of people crowded around us, I could barely see her, but I was still holding on to her. A few minutes later, I began to panic, because I couldn't feel Matilda's tight grip anymore!

"Nurse Millar!" I yelled over the loud talking of everybody on the bus. "I don't know where Matilda is! I lost her."

"Out of my way!" The slim nurse said pushing herself around, looking for Matilda. Maya and I stayed with the rest of the children.

"Riley, what happened?" May asked.

"I don't know, I lost her grip, and there's so many people on the bus!" I said hyperventilating. Suddenly, I heard a man yelling and arguing at the back of the bus. He was cursing and swearing about something. The children, Maya, and I got closer and we were able to make it to the back only to find Matilda crying as she hugged Nurse Millar. There was a young twenty-something year old man standing in front of them yelling, "Get these niggers away from me! Someone call the police! The little nigger was trying to grab my wallet!"

I stood there frozen. In shock. I couldn't move. I looked over at Maya to make sure she was seeing exactly what I was seeing. The hysterical man was a white man with blond golden hair and blue eyes. He was accusing an innocent little girl of stealing his wallet because she was black and an orphan? It was unbelievable. I started to tear up. Maya glanced over at me.

"Riley, are you okay?" I shook my head as I let tears streamed down my face.

* * *

The bus driver had to stop the bus. He forced the white man off of the bus. And since the driver was coincidentally also a black man, the white man threatened to call the police and sue the bus company for theft. He made up a conspiracy theory that the bus driver was in on it to steal his wallet. It was just...ridiculous.

Nurse Millar promised we would never have to take that bus home again. We would walk if we needed to, but she never wanted anybody to harm any of us ever again. When we got to the orphanage, Nurse Millar tried to avoid talking about the situation as much as possible. She spend most of her time trying to comfort Matilda, who was still shook up by the incident. After everybody went to bed, Maya and I went to confront Nurse Millar in her room.

"Can we come in?" Maya asked knocking on the door. When we heard no answer, we opened the door and found Nurse Millar crying on her bed.

"Riley and Maya, you should be sleeping. Please leave."

"Not until you tell us what happened on the bus," I stated. "Why did that man say all of those horrible things to you guys? Why did you let him? Why did he think Matilda was trying to steal his wallet?"

Nurse Millar was silent for a moment, before she answered, "Matilda said her teddy bear fell on the floor and that was why she lost your grip, Riley. People were pushing, and somehow, she made it all the way to the back of the bus. The man only needed to take one look at her. Her skin color and the old clothes she was wearing. She was pushed into him and automatically he thought she was trying to steal from him. So he began to yell at her, and I heard her crying. I ran all the way to her and found her on the floor crying her eyes out. That poor little innocent child, and she didn't even know what she did wrong." Nurse Millar paused because more tears were starting to escape from her eyes. Her voice cracked. "I've always been called names before, and I've been used to it, because of my skin color."

"But isn't that called...prejudice?" Maya interrupted. I nodded.

"We're learning about that in class," I explained. "Well, not exactly. We're supposed to, but nobody's listening to the teacher...Not even me." I looked down in shame, finally realizing what I had done.

* * *

The very next day, it was the day before the big test. Maya and I entered the classroom, seeing things differently. Maya promised me she wasn't going to play poker with Shawn anymore. The first thing I saw when I entered the classroom was Cory begging Minkus to pay attention to him. _Wow, he really was desperate. _The second thing I noticed which was more important, was the way Cory was dressed. He was wearing a suit! Now, he really looked like my dad. I knew that meant something interesting was going to happen.

Despite Cory's new attire, the class continued in chaos mode as it had the day before. Doodle and drawings were added to the chalk board and people were still throwing crumbled paper at each other. Mr. Feeny entered the classroom closely behind us.

"Hey, dude," Mr. Feeny said using Cory's nickname. Then he noticed Cory's suit. "Ooh, that suit. It's not cool." Mr Feeny sat in the same position as he did yesterday and began to shuffle Shawn's cards.

Shawn tugged on Maya's sleeve, who was still standing beside me. "Come on Maya, let's play poker." Maya shook her head.

"Not this time Hunter. It's time for Cory to teach us something." Shawn gave her a puzzled look.

"What are you talking about? He's not teaching anything." I turned my attention to Cory who was standing in front of the classroom, like a real teacher should. No more smirk plastered on his face. This time, he was serious.

"Class," Cory began. "I'd like to talk to you today about prejudice and how it still exists in today's world. I didn't even know that till last night when I saw a real smart, totally cool Asian girl crying her eyes out because some idiot at the mall called her a bad name. My lesson for today is that when people treat other people badly because of their skin color or their religion or where they come from then real smart, totally cool people can really suffer."

"Hey, George, this isn't gum. These are Rolaids." Shawn complained, not paying any attention to what his best friend was saying.

"Deal me out of this one, Mr. Hunter," Mr. Feeny said focusing his attention on Cory.

"What? Why?" Shawn asked confusingly. Cory sighed when he realized he wasn't getting everybody's attention.

"Okay, you win. I'm a crummy teacher, and I resign," Cory was about to leave the classroom but stopped at the door. He walked up to Shawn who was shuffling cards."Hey, Shawn, before your mother got married, what was her name again?"

"Cordini."

"Cordini," Cory repeated. "So, that would make you a wop, right?" The whole class paused what they were doing and turned to look at Cory in shock.

"What did you call me?" Shawn asked angrily standing up.

"You heard what I called you." Cory said backing up, yet he didn't seem scared.

"Did you hear what he called me?" Shawn turned to Mr. Feeny, pain evidently showing in his voice.

"What are you going to do about it Hunter?" Maya asked.

"I'm gonna knock his head off!" Shawn yelled pushing Cory up against the door.

"What if you couldn't Shawn? What if you couldn't do anything about it?" I said jumping in. "What if we lived in a country where Cory could kill you just because of your mom's last name?"

"What are you talking about Riley?" I dragged Maya along to the front of the classroom.

"We were on the bus yesterday afternoon. And we saw this innocent little girl get verbally harassed by this man because he thought she was trying to steal his wallet. Because she was black." I said looking around the room. Everybody was listening to us. Maya then decided to say something.

"You know I thought prejudice didn't exit anymore, that it only happened a long time ago. I didn't think reading the book was important until I saw with my own eyes what happens daily. After that, I spend the whole night last night reading the book, and it's good guys." Cory came up to the front of the classroom as Maya and I went to take our seats.

"A 15-year-old girl is dead! She was real smart and totally cool." Cory held up the book. "She wrote this book. Her name was Anne Frank. They say she died of typhus but they killed her...because her name was Anne Frank. Anne Frank was a victim of anti-semitism. You have to read this book and you have to pass this test not because of me but because when someone calls someone else a bad name it's not good that just that one person jumps up. We all have to jump up." Cory flipped through some pages, and then read out loud, "ln spite of everything, l still believe that people are really good at heart."

* * *

After class, I met up with Cory as we walked down the halls.

"What'd you think Riley? You were right after all. Feeny was trying to teach me something." We stopped in the middle of the hall.

"Not just you, but everybody else. Even me. I was convinced that prejudice didn't exist anymore." We walked all the way to the bus stop. "Aren't you riding your bike home?" I asked Cory. He put his thumbs inside of his pockets and shrugged.

"I probably lost the bet, so I guess I should start getting used to riding the school bus again," he smiled sheepishly.

"Then I guess I should get home and start studying right away." I smiled back.

"Thanks. I guess teaching isn't for everybody." I shook my head smirking.

"Oh, don't be too sure."

* * *

**Author's Note: Whew! Longest chapter ever! That scene when Cory was explaining Anne Frank, it gets me crying every time I watch it. Guess what? Got some exciting news! According to the GMW Writers on Twitter, Shawn and Mr. Feeny will appear in season 2! That just made my day! The request that I was talking about in the beginning that one of my reviewers (BagelsandBroadway) suggested is to have Maya dance on top of Feeny's desk like she did on Cory's desk on the show. So I was analyzing this concept, and I thought to myself, "Feeny would never let Maya do that _unless _he wasn't the teacher", and in most of this chapter, he isn't. Cory is, and as you saw, Mr. Feeny didn't do anything about it. There's this new story titled Girl Meets World Meets Boy Meets World. It's typically about the same thing that this story is about but it's written by a different author. Hey, I _love _reading stories about the future meeting the past. Go for it if you have a different approach to how Riley would meet her past dad. Check out the story! So again, comment and review this chapter! If you any ideas let me know and I'll see what I can do. Take a chance! I love getting new fans and hearing what you guys have to say. See ya next week :)**

**Quote of the week:**

"I'm just tryin' to help out. That's what families do. We help out each other." **-Jack Hunter**

**-Mimi1239**


	8. Who Am I?

**Hey guys! Celebrated my birthday last week. It was really great. I still am a teenager. Anyway, the day after my birthday was Cory and Topanga's wedding anniversary on the show (Nov 5th). Isn't that cool? I just can't wait for Girl Meets Brother! And then next month will be the Holiday episode! My last chapter was extremely long indeed, but I hope you all enjoyed it anyway. This chapter takes place during Class Pre-Union and the kids will begin to question themselves, who they really are, and what they are good at. It reminds me of the pilot when Riley asked her dad who she was. That will be explored in this chapter, and some really good scenes between Maya and Shawn! (Maya discovers something about Shawn in this chapter). I have a rough idea of who will narrate which chapters, what will happen, and how long I want this story to go on. With your help, probably it will stick around for a really long time. Shout out to those who reviewed my last chapter: nerdybookgirl, Ariel, Gmwbmwfan3552, L.H, Pebblemist of LightClan, Ali6132, jenna323.m, Glee Clue Rock 1251, and LoveShipper.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or it's spin-off series Girl Meets World**.

* * *

Maya's Point of View

_**Monday, November 29th, 1993, ****Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 11:09 A.M**_

I couldn't believe how much time Riley and I had spent in the past. About more than two months ago, I was just about ready to run away from my mom and Shawn, because I still didn't understand how they could arrange and change my whole life without even asking me if I was okay with it. How could they? Why did Shawn promise me he would get my mom to spent more time with me, and then behind my back, help my mom leave me? I had already lost my dad a while ago to another family; I didn't want to lose my mom as well, no matter how bad of a mother she was. I was still a little mad at Shawn, despite the incident happening two months ago. I mean, how could Shawn think just by adopting me he could change the despair and disappointment I felt for my mother? Now I had to see the same guy everyday except he was my age, but he was actually pretty cool.

As we were walking into Mr. Feeny's classroom one Monday morning, I asked Riley about the one thing she tried to avoid talking to me about ever since she stuck it under her bed.

"Riley, have you been looking through the photo album?" I asked in a teasing voice. Riley scoffed.

"No! I don't wanna get bad karma," she defended herself.

"Well, it might help with our situation if we knew what's going to hit us before it happens," I explained. Riley shook her head.

"Maya, all we need to worry right now is the past. Not the future," she stated and we entered Feeny's classroom. I hadn't told her yet about the incident with my mom and Shawn wanting to adopt me because she would probably have disagreed with me and told me that living with Shawn would have been a good thing. I just didn't quite see it that way. It was one of the few things I decided to keep from Riley.

Mr. Feeny made us spent the entire morning debating about taxation without representation with Cory wearing a funny looking hat representing George Washington and Minkus wearing a crown representing King George. They both were up at the front on either side of Mr. Feeny who was sitting at his desk. I was sitting in my usual seat, doodling on the cover of my History notebook, but maintained an open ear just in case Mr. Feeny called on me to answer a question.

"We're American. We'll get our goods from Japan," Cory stated powerfully. The classroom laughed at his confidence. Mr. Feeny kept his arms crossed over his chest and a straight serious face the entire time, not enjoying what Cory was saying.

"General, I'm dying for you to elaborate," Mr. Feeny said sarcastically. Just as I had finished drawing Cory's funny looking hat on the corner of my notebook, a piece of folded paper landed on top of my desk. I looked over to my left to see Shawn smirking at me. _Oh, I guess the note was from him. _I unfolded the small white paper and read in Shawn's poor handwriting, 'Hey, you understanding any of this? 'Cause I'm looking for a tutor.' And below the note, was a winking face. _Whoa, this was getting weird. _I accepted the challenge and wrote back, 'Sure, but I get paid by the hour.' I casually tossed the note to land on Shawn's desk and thankfully, Mr. Feeny didn't see it. It would have been a little embarrassing if Mr. Feeny caught us passing notes in class, made us read our notes, and then everybody would know I was sort of flirting with Shawn, and I didn't want anybody to know about that, especially Riley.

I got another note from Shawn, 'Funny, so would Riley's grandparents be okay with it?' At first I was a little confused, but then I realized that it was all part of my lie so that everybody in the class wouldn't know Riley and I came from an orphanage. I wrote back quickly, 'Yeah, they're cool with it. After school,' before I tossed the note back to Shawn and we ended there.

"If we do not understand history we are doomed to repeat its mistakes." Mr. Feeny stated. I swear the man was like a fortune cookie. But then, I remembered Mr. Matthews saying something to that effect way back when. A day in the beginning of the seventh grade when I decided it was a good time to start a homework rebellion. It was then that I realized how much Mr. Matthews had really taken in to what Mr. Feeny was saying, even though it didn't look like it now.

Cory groaned. "Oh, who cares about George Washington? Who cares about King George?" Cory said frustrated. "Was every boring guy in history named George?" He realized what he just said then, because Mr. Feeny's first name was George. I just found that extremely hilarious. "I meant, every dead boring guy." Cory smiled sheepishly.

"Apparently, the past holds no fascination for you." Mr. Feeny observed.

"No. It's happened. It's done." Cory said simply. Mr. Feeny got up and walked around the classroom, looking at each one of us. _Oh, this is not gonna end well._

Mr. Feeny stopped beside Riley's desk. Riley looked up nervously at the teacher. "Miss Matthews, are you interested in your past?" Riley paused to think for a moment.

"Well actually, I'm more interested in my future," she answered. And then Feeny's eyes fell on me.

"Miss Hart, what do you want to do in the future?" I first shrugged my shoulders, and then I looked down at my notebook filled with my sketches and drawings. I lifted my head up to look at Mr. Feeny.

"I want to be a street artist."

"A street artist." Mr. Feeny repeated. "How do you mean?"

"Like those people who travel a lot, have no place to live, only wear the clothes on their backs, lungs to breathe and get inspired by things and then do graffiti on buildings," I tried to explain. Mr. Feeny didn't seemed impressed.

"Illegally?" he questioned.

"Hey, that's even better. I'll be an illegal street artist." I answered with a smirk on my face. The class laughed. Mr. Feeny and Riley were the only ones that didn't find what I said very funny. Riley turned herself to look at me with wide eyes. Mr. Feeny walked up to my desk.

"I want to see you at lunch Miss Hart." Mr. Feeny said in a low whisper so that only I could hear. I knew what that meant. Guess I was turning into the next Cory trouble-maker. Mr. Feeny causally walked up to the front of the classroom. "It might be more interesting for us to look into our futures to see if we can avoid our mistakes before they happen. The assignment for all of you is to create personal histories for yourselves as if you were returning for your 20th high school reunion.

"More like a preunion." Minkus added.

"Well said, Mr. Minkus," Mr. Feeny agreed. "You are the graduating class of the year 1998. What is your profession? Do you have children? Are those children tormenting their sixth-grade teacher?"

"Yes." Riley nodded, and she obviously did not meant to say it out-loud because she flushed when everybody turned to look at her.

Minkus raised up his hand. "Mr. Feeny, would it be okay if I brought my wife?" Hmm, wondered who he was thinking of? Shawn scoffed at Minkus' question.

"Oh, come on, Minkus, what's going to marry you?"

"Topanga." Minkus smiled flirtatiously to Topanga. The class oohed at Minkus' sudden boldness. I was sensing a bit of deja vu then, because I remembered when two months ago, Farkle asked me out and he gave me that same flirtatious smile that Minkus was giving Topanga. He was his father after all. I heard Riley slap her hand on her forehead and then she put her head down on her desk.

"Kill me now," she muffled silently. I knew how much it was killing her because she couldn't do anything to change the way things were now. She just had to suck it up and let things be.

"Why, Stuart, I'm flattered that you would consider me as a potential life mate, but I'm not sure I even recognize the institution of marriage."Topanga responded, obviously trying to let down Minkus easy, and then I remembered how I told Farkle to just get over me.

"Trust me, babe, I've seen the future and it's me." I rolled my eyes. Yep, definitely related.

* * *

When the bell rung for lunch, everybody quickly got up and left the classroom. I remained in my seat, trying my best not to show my real emotions. That I was scared? Frightened of what Mr. Feeny was going to say to me? A little.

"Miss Hart, please come forward." Mr. Feeny said sitting at his desk. I got up and walked to the front of the classroom, leaning myself on Topanga's desk.

"Is this what you and Cory do everyday after class?" I asked. Why was I opening my big mouth? Did I really want to get myself into more trouble?

"Excuse me?" I guess I did.

"Well, I've noticed everyday how you make Cory stay after class and then teach him something. Is that even normal?" Mr. Feeny paused to think.

"Listen Miss Hart, I've been a teacher for many years and I've always cared about my students as if they were my very own. Please don't tell Mr. Matthews I said that." I nodded. "And so I've come to think that in my many years of teaching, I've developed a sense of wisdom that I feel I can share with my students, so that they can learn from their mistakes, and not make the same ones that I have." I wondered then what he was implying. That the legendary Mr. Feeny wasn't always so perfect? That perhaps, when he was in the sixth grade and his teacher asked him in front of the whole class what he wanted to do in the future, he also said an illegal street artist.

"So why am I here again?" I asked. Mr. Feeny crossed his arms over his chest again like he had done during class.

"Well Miss Hart, I take it from what you have demonstrated in class today, you take your future very lightly." I nodded my head in agreement.

"Yeah. I mean, no disrespect to your beliefs, but I feel like I should just wait and see what ends up happening to me. No planning, no preparation. That way, I don't get disappointed when things don't go my way." It was the way I really thought about my life. No ambition. No anticipation of what things were to come, and in that way, I knew I would end up like my mother. It wasn't a good thing though. And when the first sign of success would come my way, would I leave my daughter too?

"Then how do you plan on aspiring for success? Achieve great things?" he asked in a very passionate voice. I was about to say some smart remark when I realized I had nothing. I took a deep breath.

"I don't," I said before walking out of the classroom.

* * *

During lunch, I didn't really join in on the conversation Riley, Cory, and Shawn were having. I was too busy thinking about 'my future'. Did a future for me really exist? _Ugh, what was Mr. Feeny doing to me?_

"So Maya, what're dressing up tomorrow for the pre-union?" Cory asked when he saw I wasn't talking.

"An illegal street artist," I responded simply.

"Um, Maya? Don't you think that's going a little too far? I mean Mr. Feeny's gonna get upset and he'll fail you!" Riley stated exaggeratedly.

I shrugged my shoulders. "What about you Hunter?" I asked Shawn trying to change the subject. "Writer or photographer?" I suggested. I felt a kick on my leg under the table. I looked over at Riley. 'What are you doing?' I could imagine her saying. I wasn't supposed to give Shawn any ideas, or he might change his mind and his future would change.

"No, I'm going as a tire salesman." Shawn stated proudly not noticing anything weird going on between Riley and me. I wasn't really worried about Shawn's future changing. If he really enjoyed writing and photography in high school and college, then me trying to encourage him to pursue that earlier than he was ready wasn't going to change that. I just wanted to play with Riley's head a little.

"You're going to show up as a tire salesman?" Cory asked caught off guard.

"Yeah, that's what my dad does." Shawn answered.

"So?"

"I know what to wear. I know how to use a pressure gauge. I can spot a retread from a mile away." Shawn explained. I had only been to Shawn's trailer park that time he got us in trouble for that paint fight, and I never met his dad before. Future Shawn had told me his dad was in and out of his life. He never told me where his dad ended up, and despite how curious I was, he never told me. He just had this sad look in his eyes every time I asked.

"Shawn, you're so boring," Cory said.

"And lazy," Shawn added. "So Riley, what about you?"

"I've had a lot of time to think about that," Riley chuckled. "I'm going as a social worker." Wow, I had never once heard Riley make up her mind so fast. She always had trouble with what she wanted to be. She always worried so much about her future.

"You're perfect for that Riley," I smiled.

"What are you going to go as?" Shawn asked Cory.

"Cory Matthews: center fielder for the Philadelphia Phillies." Cory stated with a satisfying smirk on his face. Riley had that same 'I need to change things' look she seemed to be getting more of since we got here.

"What about teaching?" Riley blurted, not able to hold in her mending. Now it was my turn to kick Riley under the table because of the puzzled look Cory was giving her.

"What about teaching?" Cory said scrunching up his nose. "I don't wanna end up like Mr. Feeny. His job is even more boring than Shawn's."

"Oh, don't be too sure about that Cory. You handled us pretty well that week you filled in for Mr. Feeny," Riley said.

"Yeah, thanks for all that riot, maybe we should do it again sometime," Cory said sarcastically and then he turned to look at his best friend. "Come on, Shawn, let's be what we really want to be. Are we going to be men or are we going to be men with boring jobs?

"We're going to be men!" Shawn said slamming his fist on the table. Then they started barking like dogs and cheering each other on. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, you guys are so weird."

* * *

I told Riley I needed to stay after school to finish painting one of my best masterpieces in art class and to tell Nurse Millar that I was sorry for not helping out with the kids today, but I was really going over to Shawn's place and nobody knew. Not even Cory, I hoped.

When Shawn and I arrived at the trailer park, we settled our things down on the chair in the corner of the room.

"Want anything to drink?" Shawn asked me as he ran to his kitchen and looked inside his almost empty fridge. "Uhh," he stuck his head looking embarrassed and I could tell there was nothing to drink.

"I'm good with water," I responded quickly, not trying to make him feel bad and to make the tension less awkward.

"Okay," he said filling up a plastic cup of water from the sink and handing it over to me. I had a half full water bottle in my backpack, but I took the plastic cup and chugged it all down anyway. Because I wanted to be nice.

"So, you didn't invite me over here for history lessons, right?" I asked, settling myself down in a chair in the kitchen table beside Shawn. "Because believe me, I've never tutored anybody before.

"No, not really," Shawn confessed. His face turned red. It was then that I realized we were really all alone. And nobody knew I was here. It marked the second time I was alone with a boy before, the first time being when I came over to change after the paint fight. No, I refused to think of Shawn as anything more than a friend. He was like my mentor for god's sake! _Well...that was the future Shawn Hunter. This was a different Shawn. Wait, what was I thinking?!_

"What are these?" I asked curiously referring to a pile of letters on the kitchen table. Shawn quickly gathered them up and tried to hide them from me. "Come on, what are they? You writing love letters to a secret girlfriend or something?" I teased.

"No!" Shawn defended himself. He sighed, giving up and then handed me one of the letters. "I have a rich half-brother named Jack and I write letters to him. He's like three years older than me and I want to know what he's like. He hasn't responded to any of my letters though. It's stupid, right?"

"No. I think it's great. So you _do_ like writing." I said with a smirk on my face. Shawn scoffed.

"I do not! Writing's for wimps. And I'm not a wimp. I'm gonna be a tire sales man." I got out of my seat.

"Can I read this?" I asked dangling the letter above his head. Shawn got up from his seat.

"No, Maya. Come on, give me the letter back," he stuck out his hand. I gave him a pouted face, and pretended like I was going to give the letter back by sticking out my hand to hand it back, but then I pulled my hand back and stuck out my tongue at him. I then began to ran all over the living room giggling madly with Shawn chasing me. There wasn't a lot of space to run around so I ended up tripping and falling back on his couch. Just as Shawn also tripped and accidentally fell on top of me, the door opened and a really tall man with a rounded belly came through it. My eyes widened.

"I don't wanna know." The tall man said in a deep rough country accent. I pushed Shawn off of me.

"D-dad! This isn't what it looks like," Shawn stuttered as we both got off the couch.

"Ha, I told your grandparents the exact same thing, and here you are." Ew, what was he implying?

"Why are you back so soon?" Shawn asked blushing a little, brushing off his dad's extremely embarrassing comment.

"Well, I was given the afternoon off and I decided to come home and spend time with my boy!" Shawn's dad said wrapping his big arm around Shawn's neck and squeezed him tightly. "But I can see you're busy with something else," he whispered but I could still hear it. Shawn whispered something back to his dad that I didn't catch.

"H-hi Mr. Hunter," I waved awkwardly. "I'm Maya, a friend of Shawn's from school."

"Well lookie here. Shawn's never mentioned he had any female friends. He spends most of his time with that curly-haired kid. Rory?" Shawn's dad guessed.

"Cory, dad," Shawn corrected him.

"My Shawnie boy here is growing up!" Shawn's dad said proudly. "Well, as long as you kids aren't getting into any trouble, I'll let you be," Shawn's dad said about to go back outside. It reminded me of my mom when she avoided trying to be near my friends, she would say any excuse to get herself out of the room.

"No, that's alright Mr. Hunter," I said grabbing my backpack from the chair. "I should be going now...Riley's grandparents might get worried. Thank you for having me," I said politely and walked out of trailer park.

"Maya, wait up!" Shawn said coming after me. He closed the trailer park door as we made it outside. "It's not like we were doing anything wrong. It was an accident. Sorry about my dad though."

"Don't worry about it. He reminds me of a boy I used to know," I said automatically thinking about Lucas because of Shawn's dad's country accent. Ranger Rick. God I missed teasing Lucas and calling him Ranger Rick. I also missed Farkle and his attempt to flirt with me. I know, I was starting to feel homesick. "I'll see you at the pre-union writer," I joked.

"Please don't tell _anybody_ about the letters. Not even Cory knows about my half-brother."

"Okay, I promise," I waved and walked back to the orphanage.

* * *

The next day at school, I was dressed in a tie-dye purple shirt, ripped blue jeans, and I had my hair tied back in a ponytail. The first person I saw when I walked into the classroom was Shawn dressed in a blue jumpsuit, wearing a grey cap, and had a pillow stuffed under his jumpsuit to make himself look fat. I walked up to him.

"Hey Hunter, I thought you were gonna be a baseball player like Cory." Shawn shook his head.

"Nah, I'll let Cory be the baseball player. Besides, my dad helped me with this costume. So what are you?" Shawn asked looking at me up and down.

"I'm a street artist," I said taking out a small can of spray paint from my back pocket. "Get it?" Shawn nodded, seemingly impressed.

"Very cool." Just then, Cory walked up to us wearing a red and white baseball uniform. He put his hands on his hips and shook his head in disapproval when he took a look at Shawn's costume.

"I can't believe you came as a tire salesman."

"And muffler specialist," Shawn added.

"What's with the big gut?" Cory asked, taking into view Shawn's round belly.

"My dad's fat, my uncle's fat, my grandpa's fat. Let's face it, Cor, I'm going to be fat."

"Very realistic expectations," I included, even though I knew that future Shawn was nowhere near fat. Just then, Riley walked into the classroom wearing a typical woman's black business suit, except she substituted black high heels for a pair of flats. She even had on glasses and her brown hair was up in a bun.

"Wow Riley. Social worker. Very professional," I complimented. She smiled.

"Thanks. Took me all night. Nurse Millar helped me-" I cut her off by clearing my throat. Shawn and Cory heard what Riley said.

"Who's Nurse Millar?" Cory asked.

"Uh, she's Riley's grandparents' nurse. She takes care of 'em when we're at school." Riley looked at as if I had gone crazy. I gave her a look that said, 'Just stick to the story and I'll explain later'.

"Miss Hart," Mr. Feeny called me after he was finished talking to President Topanga.

"What do you think?" I asked referring to my clothes. I took out the can of spray paint. I knew I was gonna get into a lot of trouble for this.

"Oh yes, you're a street artist, aren't you?"

"Oh yeah. I travel a lot so I don't really have a place to live."

"What do you do about food and shelter?"

"Riley's my meal ticket." I answered.

"Did you at least achieved a high school diploma?"

"Nope, I just go around spraying paint," I answered simply.

"Vandalism, I see." Mr. Feeny put on his reading glasses and wrote something down on his clipboard. "Well Miss Hart, I can see you didn't put much effort into your future. I'm going to let you try again, so therefore I'm giving you an incomplete mark for now."

* * *

I spent the entire day thinking about my future. Why did Mr. Feeny care so much about my future when I barely did? He hadn't even known me that long. After school, I caught up with Riley at the bus stop.

"Hey, what'd Feeny give you on your future?" I asked Riley. She smiled proudly.

"An 'A'. He said I had a well thought out future and that I should stick to what I want to do." This was crazy! Most of the time, it was Riley who was very insecure about change and she was never sure about what she was good at and what her 'thing' was.

"That's nice," I said. Riley raised an eyebrow.

"So what'd the deal with you telling Cory and Shawn we live with my 'grandparents'?"

"Oh, right. Sorry Riles, I just didn't want anybody thinking we're not normal."

"Maya, we're not normal. We're from the future."

"Yeah, but don't go around bragging about that," I said. Then an idea popped into my head. "Hey, do you mind telling Nurse Millar I can't-" Riley cut me off.

"It's alright Maya. Go. You need to speak to Mr. Feeny right?" I nodded. "He lives next door to Cory," I hugged my best friend before I got on the bus.

* * *

I got off the bus when I hit Cory's neighborhood. I walked into Cory's and Mr. Feeny's jointed backyard. Immediately I spotted Mr. Feeny knelt down behind a picket fence. I walked over to the picket fence and looked down at Mr. Feeny garden.

"Mr. Feeny?" Mr. Feeny stood up and dusted his knees off.

"Miss Hart, what a surprise. Are you here to see Cory?" I shook my head.

"No, I wanted to talk to you. You know, about my future."

"What can I help you with?"

"Well, you gave me an incomplete on my future. Does that mean you think my future is incomplete?" I asked, beginning to care.

"Miss Hart, you're future will remain incomplete until you start taking action toward it. Embrace it by doing good."

"Who am I, Mr. Feeny?" I didn't mean to, but suddenly a tear started to escape my eye. I wiped it away.

"I can't answer that for you Miss Hart. Only you know who you are."

"Well then," I began. "I'm going to start by doing good. I'm not going to be an illegal street artist. I'm gonna graduate high school and go to college. I may not know what I want to do yet, but I won't take my future for granted." I guess it was going to take a lot longer for Riley and me to find our way back to our time, but now I was glad at least for once, someone other than the Matthews believed and cared about me. A smile finally formed on Mr. Feeny's face.

"Well done Miss Hart."

* * *

**IMPORTANT Author's Note:**

**I read these couple of _interesting _reviews and I am going to try this new thing where I have a little Q&amp;A at the end of each chapter starting from this one. Then at the bottom, I have a very important question to ask you guys. Let's see how it goes!  
**

**From nerdybookgirl: Mimi1239. This is a great story so far! I love the plot you created For everyone who reads it. You will definitely enjoy it if you love boy meets world girl meets world.**

**Me: (I know this is not a question but I thought this was really sweet). Thank you so much nerdybookgirl! I really am trying to write this story to satisfy those who enjoyed Boy Meets World and now Girl Meets World. Hope you stick with this story and I'll look forward to hearing more from you!**

**From Ariel (Guest): omg please please please can you have Shawn and Cory do their handshake/dance thing and when Maya and Riley see if they do their girl handshake from Girl Meets Flaws?**

**Me: You know why I consider this an extremely _interesting _review? Because honestly, about thirty minutes BEFORE you posted this, I was in the shower and that's where I usually come up with new ideas to incorporate into this story, and I was thinking about doing EXACTLY what you just said. It's a little freaky how you sort of read my mind, but when I read your review, I was laughing so hard! Therefore, wish granted! That will be coming up in the next couple of weeks! :)**

**From Gmwbmwfan3552 (Guest): is someone going to adopt Riley and Maya? (Like maybe Turner when you write a chapter about season 2/3 when he takes in Shawn maybe He can take in Maya too) or are they just going to stay at the orphanage?**

**Me: Hmm. Another _interesting _review. I was also thinking about this in the shower thirty minutes before you posted this too. How weird? You also read my mind! And I completely LOVE how you said that Turner should take in only Maya and you didn't include Riley in the mix(not that she shouldn't be taken in too). I guess that means you like Maya/Shawn's relationship? Hopefully, because I am going to talk about that in a few seconds. So back to the question, I've known since the very beginning of the story where Riley and Maya will end up. They definitely will find a home by the end of season 1 and it will be because someone pushed them into it. That will be one of the major changes that leads into season 2, but I cannot give that away just yet or it will spoil the surprise. Wait and find out!**

**CONTINUE READING BELOW:**

**I am very curious so I just want to ask before it goes on any further, do you guys like the scenes between Maya and Shawn? I know about a handful of you have expressed their opinions to me and are all in favor which is a really good thing, but I always have this feeling in the back of my head every time I think about writing a Shawn/Maya scene because some of you may only look at them possibly as father and daughter or maybe mentor and student and it may make you guys feel a little uncomfortable? I just want to know because perhaps if you guys think I am going a little too far and you stop reading the story, (not that I will ever go _that _far if you know what I mean) I _really _don't want to lose any readers. There will be a lot of twists and turns in their relationship especially because of Angela in the later seasons, but that is what makes their relationship so interesting. I have it all planned out in my head, (from beginning to end) and I just cannot wait for you guys to read it! Follow, favorite, and review! :) See ya next Sunday!**

**Quote of the week: **

"I swear on my mother, wherever the hell she is, if I get to be known as pudding boy's best friend, I will kill you." **-Shawn Hunter**

**-Mimi1239**


	9. All I Want for Christmas is

**The episode for Christmas will be split up into two chapters. This one will be from Riley's POV and the next one from Maya's. Taken place during Santa's Little Helper. As I was writing this chapter, I was watching the trilogy of Back to the Future. Thought it was appropriate and that I may get inspired. There won't be any time travelling DeLorean in this story, I can tell you that much! (lol) As you can pretty much tell, this story goes at a fast pace, the characters are already in mid-December. Now that I have gotten all of the feedback from my previous chapter, I will make Maya and Shawn have only a friendship type of relationship, (not that I wasn't going to do just that) but things start to get interesting when people start to believe there is more to it than what it really is (hint hint), and try to fix something that isn't broken. And besides, what's a friendship without its ups and downs? You guys surprise me more with every chapter. I did not expect to receive 18 REVIEWS for Who Am I? Shout out to those who reviewed my previous chapter: Broadwaygirl21, Pebblemist of LightClan, Christinabeal10, Esthernight, Ultrablud2, OTHFAN26, Keeliebaby2001, SEJ95, L.H (Guest), jenna323.m, BagelsandBroadway, Ariel, Guest, LUCAYASHIPPER432 (Guest), Ali6132 (Guest), Hannah (Guest), LoveShipper, and Glee Clue Rock 1251.**

**Thank you guys SO much! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

Riley's Point of View

_**Wednesday, December 15th, 1993, Philadelphia**_

**_Past time, 7:30 A.M_**

Three days before Christmas break began, it was early in the morning and I was getting ready to go to school. I bumped into Nurse Millar on my way to the bathroom that morning, and there had been something that was bothering me for a long time, and it was then that I had the courage to talk to her about it.

"I know it was like a month ago, but I still am really really sorry for what happened with Matilda. It was all my fault. I should have been more careful," I said, putting all the blame on myself. I felt that I did deserve it after all. Nurse Millar shook her head.

"No Riley. Things like that happen all the time. But I can assure you I won't ever let anybody harm my children, including you Riley. Both you and Maya have been so helpful to me and I cannot thank you two enough for everything. So please don't worry about it anymore Riley. Everything's alright now," I sighed in relief. I was starting to believe that things were looking up for me and that in fact, everything would turn out all right at the end of the day. It would be the day Maya and I returned back home and we would see that nothing had changed in our lives. Oh, but I was so wrong about that.

* * *

A few hours later, I was sitting in Mr. Feeny's classroom listening to Mr. Feeny, along with the rest of the class except for Cory and Shawn who kept talking over Mr. Feeny, read 'A Christmas Carol'. It was a good story. It taught a lesson. Made you reflect. My dad would read it every Christmas morning and I never understood why it was such an important family tradition to us until I saw Mr. Feeny pull out the book today and read it to us. I realized then, it had been my dad's way of always keeping Mr. Feeny in memory with him and my mom since they hadn't seen each other since they moved to New York after college.

"And it was always said of Scrooge that he knew how to keep Christmas well if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us. And so as Tiny Tim observed 'God bless us every one.'" Mr. Feeny closed the book and smiled to himself. "And so ends Dickens' masterpiece 'A Christmas Carol'."

Shawn paused his conversation with Cory. "Wait a minute. That's not the end. Where's the Grinch?"

Yeah," Cory agreed, turning himself to face the front. "Isn't the Grinch supposed to show up now and, like, take everything?" I slapped my hand against my forehead. It was a little embarrassing when I was doing better in the class than my own father.

"How come it's called 'A Christmas Carol' anyway?" Shawn wondered.

"Yeah. There was nobody in this story named Carol," Cory stated. Maya chuckled.

"Man, you guys are so clueless." Maya said. Mr. Feeny tried to ignore that comment by making my parents trade places with each other.

"All right," Topanga remained in her seat and closed her eyes. "I am a hyperactive, underachieving, 11-year-old boy." A puzzled look formed on my father's face.

"I meant physically." Mr. Feeny explained.

"Oh," Topanga got up from her chair. "Well, that takes less of a psychic toll."

"Why do I have to move?" Cory complained as he moved himself to Topanga's seat.

"We were just giving our view of the book," Shawn said.

"Yeah. I mean, you say literary masterpiece, we say anh!" Cory and Shawn simultaneously gave a thumbs down.

Mr. Feeny shook his head as he got out of his chair and began to walk around the classroom. "Mr. Matthews, I'm less interested in your review than I am that you understand the material. What, in your opinion, was Mr. Dickens trying to express in his Christmas story?"

"That if you're a real butt-head then neat ghosts will take you to cool places." Cory joked, smirking.

* * *

At lunch I couldn't help but think that nearly three months had passed by and it would be the first time that I wouldn't be spending Christmas with my family. Despite the fact that my dad was sitting right across from me, and my mom was just beside our table, it didn't feel the same. They didn't know who I really was. They thought I was just a friend. Well, at least I had Maya.

"Since when did your mom pack you lunch? I thought you liked fish sticks," Maya asked when she noticed that Shawn didn't buy any cafeteria food the way he and Cory did everyday. I think it was then when she started suspecting something wrong was going on in Shawn's life. He was my godfather, but Maya knew him more than I did because of their similar personalities.

"I do, but I think it's cruel how the little fish scream when they rip their sticks off," Shawn joked nervously, avoiding the question. Minkus came up to our table.

"May I sit down?" he asked politely. Both Cory and Shawn said no at the same time. I swear, it was like they were connected somehow.

Minkus ignored their rejection and sat down at one end of our rectangular-shaped table, between Shawn and Maya. "Ah, Christmas. Season of togetherness. Season of brotherhood-" Minkus was cut off by Cory.

"Season of wool. Nine out of ten Christmas gifts- wool. It doesn't matter if it's shaped like socks or a sweater it's wool and it's itchy." Cory stated as Shawn nodded in agreement. _Wow, my dad knew so much about Christmas at my age._ The funny thing was the only time Dad _didn't_ get me wool as part of my present for Christmas was the time he gave me my first cell phone. Oh, how I missed my cell phone.

"Hey, let's just say in the future you have kids. You're not gonna get them wool, right?" I asked Cory. He gave me a puzzled look.

"The gift isn't as important as the thought behind it," Minkus responded smartly. Shawn rolled his eyes when he heard Minkus say that.

"I agree with Stuart," Topanga commented as she also walked up to our table holding her tray.

"Oh, no. It's a nerd swarm." Shawn looked from both Topanga and Minkus, horrified. Topanga ignored his insult.

"I just think we often lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas in the frenzy of commercialism. Christmas is the celebration of the winter solstice- an ancient tribal ritual whose origins are lost in time," Topanga reflected. _Whoa, was my mom smart and deep._

"Yeah, we were just talking about that in the bathroom," Shawn answered sarcastically, not caring one bit about what Topanga was saying. After Minkus and Topanga left our table, Cory and Shawn began to gossip about what they were getting for Christmas.

"I think I got my real leather NBA regulation basketball," Cory said excitedly. "It's so major a gift I've been saving up to buy my gift a gift." I guess Dad wasn't so cheap as a kid.

"What're you gonna get it?" Maya asked. Cory pulled out a folded up five dollar bill from his pocket and opened it up to show us.

"A five dollar top of the line imitation nylon net."

"You have five bucks?" Shawn asked incredulously.

"I've been saving up for a month." Cory responded. "If I go buy it now, I'll tip off my parents that I know what I'm getting. Christmas is very delicate. You screw up-wool," he explained. Maya turned to Shawn.

"So Hunter, what're you getting for Christmas?"

"Me? My dad got me, like, everything." Shawn looked down at his food and picked at it for a bit. That was when I figured something was really wrong that he wasn't telling us.

"That's great," I said.

"Yeah. My dad totally came through this year."

Again, Minkus came up to our table, but this time he carried a notepad and a pen and he looked at Shawn. "Speaking of gifts, you haven't yet chipped in your five dollars for the class present to Mr. Feeny." Shawn rolled his eyes.

"Tomorrow."

"You said that yesterday," Minkus insisted.

"Come on, Shawn," Cory encouraged. "Don't think of it as five dollars for Feeny's present. Think of it as five bucks to make Minkus go away."

"Look, Minkus, I just spent my last money on lunch, okay? I'll give it to you tomorrow," Shawn said, fed up with Minkus. He got up and walked out of the cafeteria. Minkus lifted up Shawn's brown paper bag that contained his lunch.

"What? His mother charged him a packing fee?"

* * *

After we arrived after school to the orphanage with all of the kids, Maya and I headed to our room. As usual, I was lying on my bed doing homework, and Maya was lying on her bunk above my bed doodling in her history notebook.

"Hey Riley," Maya called out.

"Yeah?" I answered.

"What do you think is wrong with Shawn? He's been acting strange lately. Do you think he's having family problems or something?"

I shrugged my shoulders even though she couldn't see me. "I don't know. You know him better than I do. Look, if there was any way we could help him, we would, right?" A second later, I heard an unexpected thud on the floor. I looked up to see that Maya had jumped off her bunk and now she had on her 'let's-get-in'trouble' look.

"There _is _a way Riley. What if-"

"No."

"But-"

"Maya! You promised me we wouldn't do anything that would make us look suspicious. If we look in the photo album, we may change the future," I insisted. Before I could stop her, Maya crawled under my bed to where I had hid the photo album about a month and a half ago and pulled it out. I got off my bed after she stood up. The album was covered in dust since it was under my bed for so long. I looked over at Maya's smirking face.

"We can get answers Riley! How many times can you say something as cool as that? We can change the world and prevent something bad before it happens." Okay, so that was starting to get me convinced that it was a good idea to cheat the past a little and figure out what Shawn was hiding. But I still did not like it.

"Alright, but if we get in trouble, I'm blaming you," I warned. Maya brushed off my warning and opened the black book. She flipped through a couple of pages, skimming them until she came across one particular photo. She took the photo out of its plastic slot and showed it to me. It was a picture of Cory and Shawn standing in Cory's backyard. Shawn held Cory's NBA basketball in his hand as he and Cory smiled to the camera. I wondered then who had taken the picture. Maya flipped the picture where there was some writing on it.

"Friday, December 17th, 1993. Hey, Shawn wrote something here, _'I'll never forget the day when Cory first gave me a present for Christmas. It happened two days before this picture was taken by Mr. Feeny. Cory called me over to his house and he handed me this big green box with red bow on top. He was so eager for me to open it that he did it himself! He reluctantly told me, after he gave me his major real leather NBA basketball present, that he didn't want me to not have anything for Christmas since he had heard my dad got fired from his job. I took it then he meant I was just his charity case, and so I was mad at him for two days until Minkus told me Cory paid Minkus the five dollars I owed him for Mr. Feeny's present.'"_ Maya paused, indicating the entry concluded there. I paced around our room._  
_

"That means my dad is probably calling Shawn over to give him his present right now. They're gonna get angry with each other and then what if they never make up? We can't let that happen!" I panicked. Maya stuffed the picture inside her back pocket.

"That's what Shawn's been hiding from us. He was embarrassed that his dad got laid off," Maya said in realization. "Let's go." We grabbed our sweaters and were able to sneak out the orphanage without Nurse Millar or anybody else catching us. We made it to Cory's backyard just as Cory gave Shawn the big green box with the red bow on top. We decided to hide in the bushes to not interrupt Cory and Shawn's conversation.

"It's not going to blow up, is it?" Shawn asked, giving Cory a strange look as if he were crazy.

"Open it! Open it!" Cory demanded excitedly. "Here, let me open it," he snatched Shawn's present, sat on a step, and took out his basketball from the box. "A real leather NBA certified- dribbles like a dream basketball." Cory handed the ball to Shawn. "I'm giving it to you. Don't you love me?"

"Why'd you give this to me?" Shawn asked, looking at the ball in his hands.

"Because it's Christmas."

"So? We never give each other stuff for Christmas."

"Yeah, but this year's kind of different." Cory answered, avoiding the question.

"Why?"

"Well because..."

"Because why?"

"Because you're my best friend," Cory said smiling nervously.

"But I wasn't last year?" Shawn asked raising his eyebrow, not convinced of what Cory was telling him.

"No, you were, it's just-" Cory was about to reveal the truth when Maya unexpectedly came out of the bushes and revealed herself.

"Just accept the gift Hunter. Cory's your best friend and he just wanted to do something nice for you," Maya blurted out. I walked out of the bushes and stood behind her. Yeah, that was my best friend. She could pretty much say anything she wanted and was fearless about it. She didn't beat around the bushes, well, except a little for this time.

"Alright fine." Shawn gave in. "Does that mean you're expecting me to get you something?" he asked worriedly. Cory shook his head. Shawn sighed in relief. "Thanks man. I wouldn't have been able to get you anything anyway...because...well my dad got laid off a few days ago," Shawn revealed solemnly. It wasn't anything new to us, but we pretended to be surprised.

"We understand Shawn. It's okay. You can tell us anything and you don't have to be embarrassed about it," I explained. The others agreed with me. Cory's mom came outside and invited us all in for a snack.

"Hi, I'm Cory's mother, Amy," Mrs. Matthews said introducing herself to Maya. Maya smiled knowingly.

"Hi, my name is Maya Hart. I'm a friend of Cory's from school." We all sat around the kitchen table as Mrs. Matthews got behind the counter and took out some pieces of bread and jam and began to prepare jam sandwiches for us. I heard some footsteps coming down the stairs and turned around in my seat to see it was Eric. He walked over to Mrs. Matthews, not noticing that we were all sitting at the table.

"Hey mom, the little weasel won't come out of the bathroom. I've even tried giving her your makeup. She took it and now she still doesn't want to come out." I made a wild guess and assumed the 'weasel' Uncle Eric was talking about was my four year old Aunt Morgan. My grandmother stopped what she was doing and looked up at Eric.

"You gave her my makeup?"

"Yeah, you said you would let her play with it if she came out," Eric answered nonchalantly.

"Yes, but I didn't mean she can play with it _without _my supervision!" Mrs. Matthews hurried up the stairs. Eric took an apple that was sitting on the counter and bit into it. He hopped on the counter and it was then when he noticed us for the first time. He pointed his finger at me.

"Hey! I know you! You were here a while ago with Cory's hippie girlfriend," he said quickly, with wide eyes, his mouth full, and with pieces of apple flying out of his mouth.

Cory rolled his eyes in annoyance. "She's _not_ my girlfriend Eric."

"Then is this girl your girlfriend? Ooh, my little bro's got _two _girlfriends," Eric joked happily. I shuttered.

"Oh, no! I'm _not _his girlfriend." I clarified. The thought of people believing I was dating my father just made me want to puke.

"So, Shawn. What about you? You dating any of these pretty little girls?" Eric teased. Shawn looked over at Maya. He didn't say anything but just simply stare at her. I raised an eyebrow in suspicion. _What was that about?_

"Nobody's dating anyone here, now get out," Cory said attempting to push Eric out of the room with his small form. Eric chuckled.

"Oh Cory. You know I love you and all, but I can still kick your butt any day." As I watched the two brothers argue, I felt a tug on my shoulder. I turned myself to see Maya giving me a panic and worried look.

"What is it?" I whispered so that Shawn, who was sitting right across from us wouldn't overhear anything that we were saying. No words came out of Maya's mouth, so she dragged me outside to the patio and pulled out Shawn's photo. She was white as a sheet and looked as if she had seen a ghost. Maya began to pace around and it reminded me of what I would do when I felt nervous and scarred.

"Maya, what happened? Why are you so freaked out?"

"Look at this!" she shrieked anxiously forgetting that there was a possibility Mr. Feeny could hear us next door. Maya handed me the photo. I flipped it back and forward. _Oh no. What have we done?!_ There was nothing. The picture that once was, was now blank.

* * *

**VERY IMPORTANT Author's Note: Ooh, cliffhanger! Remember how I started a Q&amp;A section last week? I decided since I want to really communicate with each one of you who review my story, I created a Tumblr account to answer all of your reviews. This means that all of the reviews I get I will make a blog and respond to each one of them! My first blog which is for all of the reviews I received from my previous chapter is in a link posted in my profile. Please check it out and tell me what you think of this idea! :) This chapter was inspired by Ultrablud2 who gave me the idea to how the events turn out in the end. This significant chapter is the beginning of the alteration of the past vs. future for Riley and Maya. Girl Meets World began season 2 filming last Tuesday and I'm really excited for that. I found out a few days ago that Home For the Holidays premieres on December 5th! ****I don't think there are enough words in the English dictionary to express my gratitude toward all you loyal readers! I always look forward to Sundays and getting feedback from you guys because I know you guys are so smart and creative that you give me great advice. 18 reviews in one chapter! Made me look forward to writing this one.**

**P.S- Don't forget to watch Girl Meets Friendship next Friday!**

**Quote of the week:**

"Don't tell him we have a daughter." **-Cory Matthews**

**-Mimi1239**


	10. A Gift from Santa

**Hey guys! This chapter is the continuation of my previous chapter, All I Want for Christmas is... I hope you enjoy it then. Last week was the beginning of something big, and by the time we hit Christmas, something even bigger will happen. Ever since Girl Meets World came on and I started coming to this site a lot and read the fanfictions, I noticed there was something missing that nobody was really doing at the time- a story about Girl Meets World meeting Boy Meets World. I'm grateful to have come this far with everything else going on in my life and I thank all of you who are reading this. Therefore, with great honor, I present to you chapter 10! And I can assure you there will be many more to come :) Okay, so about this whole Maya/Shawn thing, I've been receiving a lot of reviews saying that I shouldn't have them romantically, but in contrast there have been many reviews that say I should. I've decided to listen to my heart and stick to my very first original plan. Trust me, there will be some balance between the two and you will get the best of both worlds and hopefully you are all satisfied with that because I know I am :) Lots of Shawn/Maya moments in this chapter. Shout out to all who reviewed my previous chapter: Guest, Broadwaygirl21, nerdybookgirl, pepper401, Guest, L.H, jenna323.m, Kelse56, Guest, OTHFAN26, Pebblemist of LightClan, Ali6132, Christinabeal10, Esthernight, and LoveShipper.**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

Maya's Point of View

_**Wednesday, December 15th, 1993, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 4:15 P.M**_

Riley and I had to excuse ourselves from Cory's house once we shockingly discovered that we had altered the past and now the picture that I once had in my back pocket, well the image was blank. We really screwed up, we realized once we snuck back into the orphanage.

"How could this happen Maya? What does this mean for us now?" Riley panicked as she flapped the blank photo around in our room.

"I don't know, but Shawn's entry said that he and Cory made up two days later, so maybe nothing will change after all." I really tried to sound confident in everything I was saying, for Riley's sake. She wasn't good at handling bad news and she always acted as if it was the end of the world. Maybe this time it was, so I had to mask my fear so that she wouldn't worry.

"I'm still blaming you if my parents don't end up together," Riley threatened pointing her index finger at me. I couldn't really take her seriously. This time it was all my fault, and I couldn't blame her for being angry with me. We ended up hugging instead of arguing any further. I needed her as much as she needed me. All afternoon long we reminisced about our lives before we got stuck in the past. We even tried to figure out what transported us into 1993.

"I knew there was something weird about that abandoned warehouse. You never noticed anything strange, Maya?" I shook my head. I'd been going to that warehouse since I had been ten years old, and despite the horrific stories about weird things going on that I heard around the neighborhood, I still went there anyway. Nothing bad ever happened to me there, and sometimes I even felt safe being there by myself. It was only until I took Riley there because I didn't have any other choice when everything changed. I should have listened. "Why did this have to happen? I've always been good. I never break curfew, I eat my vegetables, I do all my homework..." Riley trailed off, listing every single thing she did right. Then I realized something.

"You said you didn't want to go to Philadelphia with your parents! And now here we are." Riley scoffed at my excuse.

"Well, you took me to that warehouse Maya," she said putting her hands on her hips as she stood up from the bed.

"Okay," I admitted. "It's both our faults. And..." I hesitated to say, because now I was going to have to be completely honest with her (sort of), and tell her everything that happened before we got transported. "Before I went to your place and waited for you by your window, something happened at the bakery with my mom...and Shawn." Riley gave me a puzzled look.

"What do you mean? What happened?"

"Shawn took me to the bakery because my mom wanted to tell me something important. She got this part in a show and she was leaving me to go to California," I said solemnly. Riley gasped in shock.

"How could she do that to you Maya?"

"I don't know," I groaned, feeling the tears start to well up in my eyes. "And that isn't even the worst part! Shawn offered to adopt me."

Riley raised an eyebrow in confusion. "But Maya, how is that bad? Shawn was just trying to help-"

"That's not the point!" I blurted, frustrated with myself for not being able to contain my emotions in lately. I wasn't angry at Riley, or at Shawn anymore for that matter. I was angry at myself. I used to be tough as nails and always control of my feelings and emotions.

"It's okay Maya," Riley comforted in a soft tone, sitting back down beside me.

"I'm sorry," I apologized.

"Why did you wait three months to tell me this?" I didn't answer. "You thought I was going to mend right? Well you don't have to worry about that now. We just have to face the fact that we're stuck here for a while," Riley stated calmly. I raised an eyebrow in confusion. Riley had always hated change.

"Riles, do you miss your family?" I asked.

"Of course Maya. I miss waking up in the morning to the smell of pancakes. My parents always having my back and making sure I wouldn't oversleep so that I wouldn't be late to school. I even miss my dad being our teacher!" I had to chuckle a little at that. There was the Riley I knew. My best friend.

"Well I miss picking you up everyday for school and tickling your feet when your mom couldn't wake you up." Riley giggled.

"That explains the Lucas dream."

* * *

The next day at school I couldn't help but think Riley and I really did change everything. My theory was confirmed when at lunch, Minkus came to our table like he had the day before and and again bothered Shawn about the five dollars he still needed from him.

"Shawn, it's tomorrow," Minkus reminded, holding his small notepad and pen as he tapped his foot on the floor impatiently. He was wearing a grey sweater vest over his yellow turtle neck. So that was where Farkle got his sense of style.

"What are you talking about?" Shawn asked, obviously annoyed by Minkus and his persistence.

"I'm talking about the class present. You still haven't paid your five dollars," explained Minkus.

"Fine, I'll give it to you. I just don't have it on me," Shawn promised, trying to get Minkus to just leave him alone.

"I'm going to buy the present tonight so today is the last day to give me the money."

"I said I'll give it to you," Shawn's voice raised. He looked angry and frustrated, and we all knew (except for Minkus) why. Minkus didn't budge. He remained in his spot and in fact looked more determined then ever now.

"If you don't give me five dollars right now I'm _not_ going to put your name on the card and the entire sixth grade of Jefferson Elementary is going to know you're a deadbeat." After a long and awkward pause, Shawn finally responded.

"Fine, then I am okay?" Shawn got up and stormed out of the cafeteria, much like he did yesterday.

"Minkus, leave him alone," Cory said.

"Yeah, he doesn't have the money," Riley included.

"He doesn't?" Minkus asked.

"No." Cory answered.

"Oh. That puts me in an awkward position. I can't put his name on the card if he doesn't give me the money. Rules are rules. I'm the class treasurer-" I interrupted Minkus before he continued to ramble on about his important "job".

"Yeah, okay. That's great Minkus." I fished out five dollars from my pocket. "Shawn lent me five dollars last week and that's why he didn't have the money," I lied. " I have it now, so here." I handed Minkus the five dollars which was the money I was going to use to buy Riley a Christmas present. I hoped Shawn would thank me later for what I was doing.

"Oh, so you're the deadbeat," Minkus smirked.

I rolled my eyes in annoyance. "Yeah, whatever. Just make sure you put Shawn's name on the card, okay?"

"Don't worry," he reassured. "His name, however will have to be last since he was the last one to pay.

"Gee, Minkus, I wonder whose name is first on the list? Does it rhyme with stinkus?" Cory taunted, referring to the fact that Minkus was the unofficial class pet. He was Mr. Feeny's favorite student although Mr. Feeny would never admit it because he claimed he didn't have favorites. After Minkus left, a few minutes later, Shawn returned and sat down.

"Sorry guys. I just needed to cool off," he said pushing his back with both of his hands. We all nodded understandingly, and nothing more was spoken about the five dollars.

* * *

I didn't know why I brought myself to pay Shawn's due. It was supposed to be Cory's job since that was the way it happened. That was the way Cory and Shawn supposedly ended their fight. Maybe it was because I thought it was the right thing to do and that maybe something good would happen to me in return. I ended up fully convincing myself that it was okay the way I played fate a little. That nothing else bad would come out of this dilemma that Riley and I created for ourselves. Wrong again.

During our last few minutes in Mr. Feeny's class on the Friday before Christmas break began, Minkus raised up his hand. "Mr. Minkus," Mr. Feeny noted. Minkus got up and walked to the front of the classroom carrying a Christmas-themed gift bag and settled it on top of Mr. Feeny's desk.

"In my capacity as class treasurer I would like to present you with the sixth grade's Christmas gift."

Mr. Feeny pulled out a big heavy black book. "Oh, my! A dictionary. How wonderful." He opened up the card and read, "'To our admired and respected teacher' from his dutiful and attentive class."

"I wrote that," Minkus smiled proudly. I rolled my eyes.

"Big surprise there," I muttered sarcastically under my breath.

"I never would have guessed," Mr. Feeny commented.

"And all our names are written below," Minkus pointed at the card. I turned my attention from the front of the class for a second to look at Shawn. His forehead was propped up against his balled up fist. He seemed worried, angry, embarrassed, and uncomfortable all in one. I knew that was all going to change in just a few seconds.

"Yes, Minkus all the way down to Hunter. You all seem to be there," Mr. Feeny said scanning the list in the card. Shawn's worried face turned into confusion. "Well, I am very touched. This means a great deal to me, so thank you very much." The bell rung. Everybody scurried out of the classroom just as Mr. Feeny shout out, "Merry Christmas! Have a wonderful vacation."

I was very amused at the way Cory was rushing everybody out yelling, "Hurry! Get out while you can! Hurry!" He then rushed himself out. Riley was one of those people Cory rushed out of the classroom. We both needed to pick up the orphan kids and she was the first one to always get there first on time. Riley liked to be punctual. I would catch up with her later.

The last kid I saw in the class as I walked out was Minkus. Then I was surprised to see Shawn leaning against the wall outside of the classroom.

"Hey, aren't you going home? It's Christmas break!" It was Christmas break for crying out loud! I honestly thought he was going to be the first person to leave the classroom followed by Cory. "What're you still doing here?"

"I'm waiting for Minkus. I need to thank him for something," he answered, seemingly in deep thought. _Oh no._

"Merry Christmas Hunter," I said and then left quickly. He was going to find out what I did for him. I was afraid he would take it the wrong way and think I just did it because I felt sorry for him. Well, I just had to face the fact that he was going to find out eventually. I mean, Minkus wouldn't just _put _his name on the card without receiving the money. I had to do something...

As I walked out of the school, I heard someone calling me my name. "Maya!" The familiar voice was getting closer. I turned around and no surprise. It was Shawn. "Why'd you do that for me Maya? Is it because of my dad?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I didn't want people teasing you. You're my friend so I thought I'd help you out," I explained, trying my best not to say anything that he would consider insulting.

"You didn't have to do that Maya. I don't care that people call me a deadbeat," he said. But I could see his eyes were saying otherwise.

"Yes you do! And I care too. It's Christmas, friends are supposed to help each other out."

"You don't understand." Ha, that reminded me of when I told future Shawn he didn't understand me. The tables were turning on me.

"Of course I understand Shawn." I realized then I couldn't actually tell him how I knew what he was going through. My mom must have gotten fired like a million times before she got a job as a waitress. I could tell even she wasn't proud of her job, since she always told people she was an actress. We barely were able to afford the apartment we had. Mr. Matthews was the person who bought me my first real cell phone.

Shawn seemed unconvinced. "I've lived in a trailer park all my life. I'm not normal. You live with Riley's grandparents probably in some fancy build-into-the-ground house. We are not from the same world." Why did I lie to him? Why didn't I just tell him I lived in an orphanage when he asked me? He would have understood. But it was too late now.

"Trust me. I understand Hunter. But what's your problem? I was going to use that five dollars to buy Riley a present. You should be thanking me for helping you out," I let the last part accidentally slip out. Okay, so that wasn't the best thing to say, but I was starting to get irritated.

"I don't need you charity, _Hart,_" He answered coldly, and then stormed off.

* * *

That afternoon I decided to pay Mr. Feeny a little visit. I even brought Riley along with me. This problem with Shawn was not leaving me alone. I needed someone to talk to that was wise and understanding and was a good problem-solver.

Riley and I entered the Matthews' backyard and all I could hear was Riley's ranting, "Are you sure we should be bothering him right now? I mean he's probably having dinner or something-" Riley's nervousness was cut off by Mr. Feeny standing up from his sort of 'hiding' space behind his picket fence. He probably listened in to a lot of conversations between the Matthews' family without meaning to.

"'He' is still gardening. It's only four in the afternoon Miss Matthews. But what can I help you with?" Mr. Feeny wiped his dirt filled hands with a cloth.

"Um, well I heard you give great advice, so I wanted to ask for your advice about a problem I have," I said. Mr. Feeny's eyebrow raised.

"Is that so? Well, what is your problem Miss Hart?"

I slowly began, "Uh, well I have... this _friend _that I tried helping out, but then he got mad at me and said he didn't need my 'charity'. Where's his gratitude? At least we both know one person who wasn't paying attention to 'A Christmas Carol.'" Mr. Feeny shook his head.

"I can name one too. It's you Maya. A true gift is given with no expectation."

"What's that mean?" Riley asked.

"It means you gave the gift to get the thanks. That's not the way it's supposed to be. Not between real friends."

"So I guess you know who this _friend _is right?"

Mr. Feeny nodded. "Yes I do. Cory's father informed me yesterday about Mr. Hunter. I understand what you tried to do was a pure and good-hearted gesture, but it must only be for generous and selfless reasons. Do not just do it for the gratitude. That's what Christmas is about Miss Matthews and Miss Hart. The act of giving, not receiving." I smiled gratefully. As if on cue, Mrs. Matthews came out holding little Morgan's flour-covered hand while carrying a red box of cookies in the other hand.

"Oh, well hello Riley and Maya. I didn't expect to find you both out here," Mrs. Matthews greeted. "Cory's inside if you want to see him."

"No thanks, Mrs. Matthews. We were just leaving," I declined her offer politely. "Who are the cookies for?" I wondered.

"I helped make them!" Morgan chirped. It was obvious she did considering her whole face and clothes were covered in flour. She looked like a ghost!

"Yes, Morgan and I were about to drop them off to Shawn's family-"

"Maya can do it," Riley offered. I turned to look at her. _What was she doing?_

"Is that alright with you Maya? I would be very grateful if you did because I have to get Morgan cleaned up for dinner and talk to Mr. Feeny about something. Shawn doesn't live too far from here-"

"Yeah, I know where Shawn lives." Riley looked at me with a surprised expression on her face. I never told her about my little visits to Shawn's trailer park. I gave her my 'I'll explain later look' and took the cookies from Mrs. Matthews hand. Mrs. Matthews took Morgan back inside the house. "Not that I don't mind helping, but why'd you do that?" I asked Riley.

"You need to fix whatever problem you have with Shawn, right? Well, go and make things right," Riley smiled encouragingly. I turned to Mr. Feeny.

"Thanks Mr. Feeny. Merry Christmas to you," I said and began my journey to Shawn's trailer park. I stopped at the Hunters' trailer park and knocked on the door. A tall woman with light brown curly hair wearing an apron opened the door.

"Hello! Is there something I can help you with?" The cheerful woman asked in the same southern accent I heard Shawn's dad use when I first met him. This, I supposed, was Shawn's mother Virna.

"Um, yes. I'm Maya, a friend of Shawn's from school. May I talk to him please?" I asked politely. Mrs. Hunter's smile grew wider, if that was even possible.

"Of course sweetie," she said turning her body around and shouted inside the trailer, "Shawn, a pretty little lady is here to see you!" And then she turned back to me and said, "That's the first time I've ever said that before." _Trust me, it wasn't going to be the last, _I thought to myself as Shawn came outside and his mom went back inside to give us some privacy. The sun was setting, and it was starting to get dark.

It felt awkward to be near Shawn in this type of situation. I hadn't realized that I didn't know what to say until it hit me at that moment.

"Hey...Shawn. Cory's mom wanted me to give this to you for your mom," I said handing him the box of cookies. "And I just wanted to apologize. I tried to help you for the wrong reasons. I thought you should have thanked me for what I did. I really do understand you Shawn, even though I can't really tell you how I do." Shawn walked closer to me.

"Well, I shouldn't have been angry with you. You didn't want people to know...about my dad. It's cool. Thanks for the cookies Maya." I looked down and could see Shawn was gripping my hand. I pulled back from the shock and began to laugh nervously. After the awkward moment, I had to ask something.

"So, everything's cool between us?"

"Yeah."

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Hey, when I got friends, I can get through anything." I smiled.

* * *

"Did you work things out with Shawn?" Riley asked me once I arrived at the orphanage. After we talked, Shawn invited me to a small dinner he was having with his parents. I got to know a lot more about the Hunter family. To sum things up, they were good people.

When I finished changing into my PJ's, I answered, "Yes Riley. Thanks for fixing things like you always do," I joked. I climbed up my bunk and got into bed. Riley shut the lights off and got into her bed. There was still about a week left till Christmas. From the light of the moon shining so bright outside the window close to my bed, I decided it was a good time to take out two pictures I had hidden under my pillow. The first one was a picture that the Matthews family had taken about an hour ago. Mr. Feeny was there also, dressed as Santa Clause. The picture was taken in the kitchen. Everybody except for Morgan was looking at each other as if somebody said something unpleasant before the picture was taken. I found it funny because Morgan was the only one smiling into the camera.

The second picture which I hid under my pillow, was one I hid away from Riley for a few reasons. It was the Christmas photo future Shawn gave me before my mom told me she was leaving me. I kept reading the back message: _Maya, you don't have to be blood to be family, Love Shawn. _I still didn't know what it meant.

The tables really turned on me this time. Cory was the one who was supposed to learn the meaning of Christmas from Mr. Feeny, but instead I ended up in his situation and got the advice from Mr. Feeny. _At least this whole, 'we changed the future' problem is over_, I thought to myself, relieved that everything was finally fixed. But in reality (and little did I know), the problem that Riley and I created was far from being solved.

* * *

**Author's Note: Yep, more to come soon! The alteration has not stopped yet! This is the last chapter that will take place in 1993 unfortunately. Everything from now on will start from 1994. That's something new :) I found out last week that on the day that Home for the Holidays premieres (Dec 5th) I don't have to go to school (yay!), so I'll probably stay home and continue writing more chapters for this story until the time comes when the episode comes on! It's really exciting for me :) I can't wait for the episode. Guess what? As I was writing this chapter, my dad put on Hot Stuff by Donna Summer and that just made me laugh! All I could think about was that episode of Boy Meets World (Last Tango in Philly) where all of the guys were dancing at the club! That was certainly a highlight for me! By the way, thanks for the 105 reviews that I have received overall! You guys rock! I'm still getting reviews for Who Am I? which I am very happy about! :) And what did you guys think of Girl Meets Friendship? I loved the cute moments between Cory and Topanga! Girl Meets Brother premieres next Friday! See ya next week!**

**P.S- Don't forget to check on my profile for the link to my Tumblr blog for this chapter for those of you who reviewed chapter 9.**

**Quote of the week:**

"I have a niche?" **-Eric Matthews**

**-Mimi1239**


	11. First Crushes

**Hello! Happy late-Thanksgiving to you guys that had it on Thursday! My Thanksgiving was in October (Canadian), remember? This chapter takes place during She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not. Thanks for all the reviews guys! Just to clarify, season 1 of this story is not over yet. There are still six or seven more chapters after this one that cover the majority and the rest of season 1. Cory/Topanga moments in this chapter and a lot more later :) To clear things up with the Tumblr blogs, I often post the link to my next blog before I post the new chapter just so that I don't forget. Sorry for the confusion, I know some of you thought I posted chapter 11 last week but this is it. I didn't know most of you guys looked at my blog but don't get me wrong, I am VERY happy that you do. It's why I make them.**

**I just want to bring something up before you guys read the chapter, a long time ago I encouraged you guys that love the whole time-travelling concept to make a GMW/BMW story like I did, and then I come across this story that I thought was sort of like mine. Makeup, insecurity, escaping through the bay window, warehouse, orphanage, school of choice...Then I saw Ali6132's review (thanks by the way for mentioning this),_ "Good story. It kind of sounds like the story "Seven Years in the Nineties" by Mimi1239, though_." I could tell the author has read my story, but now I encourage you guys to come up with an original idea to how you think Riley and Maya would go to the nineties. Repetition is boring, right? Shout out to those who reviewed my previous chapter: HK, Awkward Teen, L.H, Nat-Marie, Kelse56, Ali6132, ultrablu2, Pebblemist of LightClan, Esthernight, Glee Clue Rock 1251, Ariel, jenna323.m, and LoveShipper.**

**Enjoy! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

Riley's Point of View

_**Tuesday, January 11th, 1994, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 8:00 A.M**_

Christmas break ended the first week of January. We were all back in school and the kids were even wilder than before, if that was even possible. Love seemed to be blooming among the "nerd set" as Cory would put it. Minkus was starting to leave Topanga roses on her desk. That was starting to make me nervous. As Cory and Shawn were making fun of Minkus and Topanga, I walked up to the two best friends.

"Hey Cory. Why don't you do something like that for Topanga? Give her a rose or write her a poem," I suggested. Both Cory and Shawn looked at me as if I were insane.

"Why would I do that? It's not like I _like_ her," Cory answered, shuddering at the thought. It was hard work waiting around all the time for my parents to realize they belonged with each other and that they were going to spend the rest of their lives together. But no, that only happened in the movies. It was going to take a lot of convincing and planning to make _sure _everything turned out right.

"Good morning, class. I trust you all had a good weekend," Mr. Feeny said as he walked into the classroom just as the bell rung. I went to take my seat. "This morning we have a guest lecturer. The school board feels that since you're all starting the seventh grade next year it would behoove you to have an advanced taste of the experience." Just then, Eric walked into the classroom while looking at a piece of paper he held in his hand.

"Eric?" Cory asked, shocked that his brother was in his class.

"Cory?"

"Mr. Matthews?" Mr. Feeny questioned, with the same level of shock as Cory.

"Mr. Feeny?" Eric walked up to the front of the class. I noticed the way my mom was following Eric's every move. It was sort of creepy. After Eric explained that the reason why he was there was because he wanted to get out of algebra, he began with by saying, "Hi, kids, I'm Eric. I'm in the 10th grade at Adams High, the school you'll all be going to next year."

"At least all of us who pass," Minkus stated, looking over at Cory and Shawn.

After Cory made some farting noises and the class returned to its loud and chaotic mode , Mr. Feeny said, "Please, class, give Mr. Matthews your attention."

"Matthews?" Topanga asked, a smile forming on her face.

"Oh, yeah, I'm Cory's older brother," Eric answered. "I got the good hair. Anyway, next year you guys will be seventh graders or, as we upper class-men will be calling you phlegmballs. Now, there's gonna be a few things you're gonna need to know for survival on the mean streets of high school. Parties are gonna be a lot better because you can stay out later. And, of course, cool clothes are a must. Uh, you're gonna want to know where the parking lot is, too because that's where the most popular kids hang. And you're gonna want to hang with them unless, of course you want to look like a complete nerd," Eric laughed to himself, but then stopped when he saw Minkus' serious face. "No offense, Mink."

Cory and Shawn tried to get Eric to agree that he would drive them to school next year, but of course Eric answered, "Drop dead," and Cory jokingly fell to the floor. What a goofball.

* * *

After school, Cory invited Maya and I to his house with Shawn to hang out and work on some homework together. I thought it was a little strange that he would do that, but I guess they considered us as part of their group now. Nurse Millar gave us the week off from picking up the orphans and told us she would only ask us for our help when she needed it. As we were all sitting around the table with Cory, Shawn, and Maya fooling around, and me doing my homework, there was a knock on the back door and Cory got up to answer it. It was Topanga carrying a container.

"Hi Cory. I have some freshly baked brownies here I thought you might enjoy." Topanga smiled brightly.

"Thanks for dropping them off," Cory said, grabbing the container, but Topanga wouldn't let go of the container.

"I thought perhaps I could stay here and enjoy them with you." My mom kept her forced smile on her face as she walked past Cory and settled the brownies on the kitchen table next to us.

Shawn didn't seem to mind that Topanga was here, as long as she brought food. "Milk's in the fridge, babe," he said taking a bite out of a brownie.

"Hey, these are pretty good," Maya complimented as she tasted the brownie in her mouth. Indeed they were.

"Thanks. I helped Chloe make them," Topanga responded, referring to her mother. Morgan came downstairs and complimented Topanga on her braided crimped hair.

Topanga offered to put a braid on Morgan's hair and before they went upstairs to Morgan's room, Morgan said to Cory, "You know, I'd like to see more of them and less of him." She pointed at Shawn. I thought it was adorable!

Shawn was smirking at Cory once the girls left. "What?" Cory finally asked.

"Comes over with the brownies, tries to get in good with your sister..." Shawn's smirk only grew wider. Now I knew what he was getting at.

Cory still didn't get it. "So?"

"So, Cory and Topanga sitting in a tree k-i-s-s-i-n-g," Shawn sang.

Cory scoffed and shook his head. "No way. Minkus wants her."

"And yet she's not over at Minkus' house unloading brownies," Maya defended. She did bring up a good point.

"That's just what I want, to be Topanga's boyfriend and then we can name our children Chewbacca and Plankton," Cory answered sarcastically. I imagined what my life would be like if I was named any one of those names and I just stared at Cory in horror.

"Hey, can I get that in writing?" Maya smirked amusingly. I widened my eyes. She just really liked playing with my future.

"Okay future 'social worker'. What's your theory?" Cory put air quotes around social worker.

"Well Cory, it all has to start somewhere," I began, trying to get the horrible names out of my head. "Minkus gets squishy about Topanga. Topanga gets squishy about you. One day your solid as a rock the next day- _squish_." Cory rolled his eyes.

"Riley, Topanga _does not_ have a squish on me." I was glad I came over today. At least my parents' love life was finally getting somewhere, even though my dad refused to believe it was.

"Yes she does," I insisted. "She has a squish on you, you have a squish on her, and pretty soon, the universe will make sense again."

"No, it's more like, I hate her, she hates me, and that's the way the universe works."

"She brought you brownies, dude," Shawn concluded just as Mrs. Matthews walked into the kitchen carrying a bag of groceries. Simultaneously, Eric walked in from the back door just as Topanga and Morgan came down the stairs.

"Mommy! Mommy, look! Topanga made my hair pretty," Morgan said excitedly showing her mom her braided strand of hair.

"She sure did." Mrs. Matthews smiled as she touched the braid.

"Yep," Cory agreed, taking the container of brownies from the table and gave them to Topanga and started pushing her out the door. "Brownies, braids- she does it all but, uh, now she has to do it all at home."

"But I was hoping I could stay-"

"You can't. We're over the legal hair limit of this room," Cory said shutting the door in Topanga's face much like did the first time I came over and Topanga performed her "Doughnut in the Sky" poem. Then he opened the door and took the container out of Topanga's hand and then shut the door again.

"Well, that wasn't very polite," Mrs. Matthews commented giving Cory a disapproving look.

"I can't afford to be polite, Mom. I'm polite- _squish_."

"I hear a lot of men treat the women they love like that," Shawn teased smirking. Everybody turned to look at Cory with a knowing look.

Cory glared at Shawn. "I'll kill you, Shawn," he threatened.

"We got a little girlfriend action going on here?" Eric smirked.

"Yep," Maya said.

"No." Cory said.

"Cory and Topanga sitting in a tree A-B-C-D-E-F-G," Morgan sang.

* * *

During lunch the next day of school, Topanga walked up to our table. "Here comes the future Mrs. Cory Matthews," I announced quietly so that only the four of us could hear.

"Riley, shut up. Topanga doesn't like me." Was my dad always this stubborn and blind? I guess so. "Look, I'll prove it."

"Hey guys. Hello, Cory," Topanga greeted as she arrived at our table. After Cory's lame attempt to avoid Topanga, she offered to loan him her rented tape of Godzilla Goes to College. That made both Cory and Shawn alert and jumpy.

"When can we borrow it?" Cory asked excitedly.

"You can't. It's my cousin's tape. He said I can't let it out of my sight and our VCR is broken. I'll have to bring it to your house."

"All right," Cory agreed reluctantly. "How about 4:00?"

"That will give me time to get home and get ready- I mean get the tape. Bye," Topanga said nervously and left. Aw, my mom wanted to look good for my dad on their "movie date". How cute!

"Oh, man, she's got a _thang_ for you," Shawn snickered.

"Yeah, did you see the way she was looking at you Cory? And the way she slipped up definitely means she likes you," Maya said.

"What are you guys? The 'love experts'? What do I care? All I want from her is brownies and videos," Cory said simply. We all resumed our eating until a very infuriated Minkus stormed to our table.

"You maggot," Minkus spat.

"Huh?" Cory asked confusingly.

"All these years pretending to be my close friend all so you could get to her." Since when were Cory and Minkus "close"?_  
_

"Her? Topanga?" Cory shook his head. "I don't think so."

Minkus scoffed. "Oh, please! The whole school's talking about you two." He crossed his arm, his face still red with fury.

"What?" Cory shrugged. "I ate a couple brownies. I said I'd watch a video."

"Do you really care about her or are you just doing this to humiliate me?"

Cory threw his hands in the air. "I give up."

"Don't worry Minkus. You'll find your soul mate and make lots of baby Minkii," Maya reassured. I glared at her while everybody else just stared at her in confusion.

"Be afraid. Be very afraid," Minkus threatened before he left.

"What's going on here? I don't want girls to like me. Why is everything changing?" Cory wondered.

"Trust me. Change is inevitable. Just try to keep up with it," I responded wisely. Yep, ever since I excepted the fact that Maya and I were going to be stuck in the past for a while, my level of wisdom just grew. "Hey, Topanga forgot her notebook," I said picking up the notebook sitting on the edge of the table that Topanga must have forgotten while she was here. Shawn took the notebook from my hands and opened it up to the first page.

"Oh look, it's a heart with a name doodled in swirly things. 'Mrs. Matthews'," Shawn taunted turning to the next page.

"Give me a break," Cory said covering his face with his hand. I took a slip out of my water bottle.

"'Mrs. Topanga Matthews'," Shawn turned flipped the next page. "Ooh 'Mrs. Eric Matthews'..."

"Would you get off my- what?" Cory said in shock. I on the other hand, was coughing up a lung. I was choking on the water that I was drinking just as Shawn said "Mrs. Eric Matthews" while Maya was patting my back. OH MY GOD! MY MOM WAS IN LOVE WITH MY UNCLE!

"Are you okay Riley? It looks like you're more surprised than I am," Cory asked seemingly concerned. After I was able to get some air back into my lungs, I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just need some air. Maya, join me," I demanded dragging Maya out into the halls. Since everybody was in the cafeteria eating their lunch, we didn't have to worry about anybody overhearing our conversation. I didn't even know where to begin. "Maya! How could this happen?"

Maya grabbed my both of my shoulders. "No, no Riley. Don't freak out. This is just a phase. You're mom's just going through a phase. It's just a crush. She doesn't really love Eric. She'll get over it."

"How do you know so much? How can you think everything will be okay?"

"I just do. Your mom loves your dad. She just doesn't know it yet."

I still wasn't convinced. My lips formed a tight straight line as I thought about something disturbing. "What if we really did change the future Maya? And now my mom is going to end up with Uncle Eric?"

"Trust me, _we_ won't let that happen. This has nothing to do with what happened before Christmas. This will all blow over by tomorrow."

* * *

I didn't get much sleep that night. I was too worried about my parents. It was hard to pretend like everything was okay when the reality was that everything seemed to be falling apart. The next day at school, though, changed it all. Eric walked into our classroom just as Mr. Feeny was in the middle of reading us some American poems.

"Mr. Feeny? Um, may I come in?" Eric asked uncomfortably.

"Of course."

Eric walked up to the front of the classroom, much like he did two days ago. "Uh, could I speak to your class?"

"Be my guest."

"So, uh, a couple of days ago I pretty much covered the big high school picture but, uh, I left out one little tiny detail. You've all known each other since like, kindergarten. But next year there's gonna be maybe nine or ten other sixth grade classes from different schools making up your seventh grade class and you're not gonna know all those kids. A lot of them are gonna think differently than you."

"What do you mean?" Minkus asked.

"Well," Eric paused his speech to come up with an example, "do you smoke cigarettes?

"No."

"A lot of kids in your new school will. A lot of them are gonna try to pressure you into it. They're gonna tell how cool it is to smoke." Eric turned to look specifically at Minkus. "You want to be cool, don't you?

"More than you could ever know," Minkus answered dreamily.

"Maybe you'll smoke," Eric suggested.

Minkus shook his head. "I don't think so."

"Well," Eric pointed at Topanga, who had a sad expression on her face. "What if she thought it was cool? Then would you smoke?"

"In a heartbeat."

"But that's peer pressure," I realized.

"Yes it is Riley." Eric nodded toward me. He shifted his eyes toward Topanga. "So he smokes. Do you think that's cool?"

"I think anyone who smokes is a disgusting pig," Topanga responded, her voice breaking a little and a look of disgust and hatred formed in her eyes.

Minkus threw his hands in the air in defeat. "I'm trying to quit," he insisted.

"Well. It's not that easy, Minkus. There's all kinds of pressure." Eric walked around the class. He pointed at Cory. "I mean, what about alcohol?"

"What about it?" Cory shrugged.

"What about drugs?" Tension was increasing in the room.

"Hey, calm down, Eric. We're not into that stuff. All we like is baseball and comic books."

"Yeah, that's what you like now. But that's going to change just like you're changing schools. Just like you're going to start feeling a lot of new stuff inside you you're not really gonna understand.

"How do you know what's going to happen to us Eric?" Maya asked.

"Because you're growing up." Eric looked down at Topanga and smiled sincerely. "Some of you have already started." Topanga looked down and smiled to herself.

* * *

During lunch, using the paper flowers he had made for Topanga, Minkus sat at a table by himself and with each petal he ripped from the flower, he chanted, "She loves me, she loves me not. She loves me, she loves me not." Obviously, he was doing that because of Topanga.

"Look at him," I said, feeling bad for Minkus and his misery.

"The love bomb has blown his head off," Shawn said.

"This is big. This love thing could kill us if we let it," Cory said, referring to himself and Shawn. Maya had to go talk to the art teacher about something and that was why she wasn't eating lunch with us. "You and I have to make a deal right now. Let everyone else go nuts."

"We stay the same," Shawn said as he and Cory shook hands, creating a pack.

"Forever," Cory concluded, looking relieved that he had someone on his side.

"You know that's not going to work," I whispered to Cory.

"Why not?" he asked. Just then, Maya came in and walked to our table.

"Hey losers, do you guys know where Mrs. Engles is? I can't find her anywhere." Cory and Shawn were still held their grip on each other's hands representing the force they just made. Shawn looked Maya and gave her this weird-looking lovey-dovey smile and then he looked at Cory.

Cory's eyes widened. "Oh no. We have a deal," he warned Shawn.

Shawn ignored Cory and turned to Maya. "I saw her at the principal's office. I've been there a million times, let me take you." Shawn eagerly got out of his seat, still holding on to Cory's hand. Cory put extra pressure on his grip.

Maya gave Shawn a puzzled look. "Uh, I know where it is too. It's okay Hunter. I can go by myself," Maya said, beginning to walk out of the cafeteria.

"We have a deal," Cory repeated.

"Hey, that's alright. I'll walk with you anyway," Shawn walked out of the cafeteria closely behind Maya and Cory tried to hold on to Shawn and keep him from leaving by holding on to the table.

"We have a deal! We have a deal!" Cory almost ended up flipping the table around. Eventually, Cory let go of Shawn's hand and helped me put the table and chairs back to their places. _Man that was weird. Why was Shawn so fixated on Maya? Did that mean what I thought it meant?_

A few minutes later, Topanga walked inside the cafeteria and sat at a table by herself, far away from Minkus I must add. I got up from my seat and walked to her table. "Hi Topanga, can I sit here?" I asked.

"Of course Riley. You're always welcomed to sit with me." Aw, was my mom sweet! I sat right across from her as I watched her eat her lunch.

I didn't really know how to ask her what I wanted to know, so I just said, "so Topanga, uh are you okay?" I mean, she had no idea the four of us accidentally found and looked inside her "doodling book".

"Yes I am. Thank you for asking Riley. Are you okay?" she asked in her normal slow voice. I guess she was really feeling better if she was acting like herself.

"Yeah, I'm great. So what did you think of Eric's speech?"

She titled her head, and thought about it for a moment. "Well, he was a lot informative about the dangers of high school than he was two days ago. I think he did a magnificent job of opening his soul to us. Could you tell his Ora was glowing?" I didn't know what that meant. but I didn't want to find out.

"Yeah, I could tell. But you don't like-like him, right?" _Oh god, please say no!_

She shrugged her shoulders. "I used to, but I suppose he's too mature for me. I've learned that I shouldn't fall for someone so easily. I will most likely live in abstinence from marriage." I looked over at Cory, who still looked pretty upset because Shawn chose to go with Maya instead of sticking to the pact. Currently, Cory probably wanted to live in abstinence from marriage too. My parents were so alike.

"Don't give up hope Topanga. I'm sure the right guy for you is closer than you think."

* * *

The weekend. I enjoyed the weekend because that meant I didn't have to worry about changing anybody's future since I didn't see Cory, Topanga, Shawn, or Minkus during the weekend. Only during school. Maya and I mostly helped out Nurse Millar with the kids. Without meaning to, we sort of took this motherly/sisterly role for them ever since we arrived at the orphanage in mid-September.

I couldn't help but finally feel relieved about everything. The fact that my parents were going to get together was a done deal. It was only my mom's first crush. Nothing Maya and I did really influenced my mom's feelings and she was over her crush on my uncle.

A knock on our bedroom door got me awake at eight in the morning that Saturday.

"Riley, someone's at the door," Maya mumbled from the top bunk. I rolled my eyes. Yep, my best friend was very lazy. I yawned and rubbing the sleep out of my eyes as I got up and opened the door. It was Nurse Millar.

"I'm sorry for having to wake you girls up this early on a Saturday, but there are two boys outside that are asking for you two. They refuse to leave until you girls come out. You better go see who they are," Nurse Millar informed.

I waited for Maya to jump out of her bunk bed, and in our PJs, we followed Nurse Millar to the front door. The two boys, a very big shock to both of us, were Cory and Shawn! _Oh my god. This wasn't happening!_

"Hey guys," Shawn greeted. "We went around the neighborhood asking for you guys and the guys next door said you lived...here," Shawn stopped and looked up at the sign above the door which read, _Needy Kids Orphanage_. Both Cory and Shawn had puzzled looks on their faces. I knew Maya's lie was going to get us into trouble. I winced, knowing exactly what Shawn was going to ask. "Uh, have you guys noticed you live in an orphanage?"

* * *

**Author's Note: Ooh! Another cliffhanger! How do you think they're gonna get out of this situation? Again, this chapter was inspired by ultrablud2. Thanks for suggesting this! Next week, guess what's coming? GIRL MEETS HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS! Search up the promos on Youtube for those of you who haven't seen it yet. My favorite part of one promo is the last bit when Cory's hugging Shawn and saying, "I told you he was real!" to Riley and Maya. Poor Auggie, getting squished like that! :) My other favorite part was the Farkle/Shawn scene. It would have been so cool if Minkus guest starred for that episode! As I was watching Girl Meets Brother in a live stream on Friday (which by the way, loved the flashbacks and Cory/Topanga moments!) as I usually do, but with my sister for the very first time, she got soooo excited about the new promo (behind the scenes) of Home for the Holidays that she actually dropped my laptop and it hit the floor hard when she saw Farkle coming in through the window and both him and Shawn were so confused! Thankfully, it's alright or I wouldn't be posting this right now :) Unfortunately, she knows when Home for the Holidays premieres and she is going to want to watch it with me, so I have no choice but to let her watch it with me. I'm going to taking good care of my laptop though ;)**

**Next chapter is taken place during Model Family/Risky Business and it will be about how this group of friends become a family. The chapter in which I include "The Fugitive" episode will be the most important chapter from season 1. If you have a twitter and you don't follow the Girl Meets World Writers, I suggest you do because they answer a lot of questions regarding the show. In late September, they mentioned that they would have a "Big Announcement" and this Wednesday, they will reveal to the fans what this announcement is. Hopefully it has to do with Will Friedle reprising his role as Eric on the show! One can dream, right? Till next week!**

**P.S- Don't forget to check out the link in my profile for the Q&amp;A for this chapter!**

**Quote of the week:**

"Life is a lot tougher than school my dears." **-George Feeny**

**-Mimi1239**


	12. A Family of Friends

**Hi guys! I guess I was right! The announcement the writers made was that Will Friedle (Eric) _will _be reprising his role in season 2! Also, guess who else? Ghost Chet! I am curious and anxious to see how they will do that, but I can't wait! Check out my Q&amp;A Tumblr blog, I answered questions that you guys may have been wondering such as, who do I ship? When did I start watching BMW/GMW? What inspired me to write this story? What did I think about the Holiday episode? By the way, I posted a schedule on my profile for what date I will update every chapter (so that there's no more confusion). Yep, this chapter takes place during Model Family and Risky Business. And no Ariel, I have not forgotten about your wish to have Cory and Shawn do their handshake and then have Riley and Maya to theirs. Your wish will be granted in this chapter. I try my best to include everything you guys suggest to this story, so keep the suggestions coming! 22 reviews this chapter! So proud of you guys! Please keep this up and I promise you you will enjoy the rest of season 1. I'd like to give a shout out to those of you who reviewed my previous chapter: gw24, guest, marque, Alyssa, Esthernight, Broadwaygirl21, L.H, Awkward Teen, Guest, Gamergirlguest, jenna323.m, Guest, samanthasherryanne, Guest, OTHFAN26, Glee Clue Rock 1251, Ariel, FrozenROTGR5, Ali6132, Nat-Marie, Pebblemist of LightClan, and LoveShipper.**

**And now, on with the show!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

Maya's Point of View

_**Saturday, January 15th, 1994, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time 8:00 A.M**_

"Uh, have you guys noticed you live in an orphanage?"

Why was I a compulsive liar? Why did I push people away? Why did I feel the need to keep only Riley in my life, when there were a handful of other people that I knew very well cared about me too? I couldn't answer those questions at the moment, because I still had Cory and Shawn staring at me in confusion, and Riley clinging to my arm afraid of what might happen.

"Hey, you caught us! This is where Riley's grandparents send us during the weekend to volunteer at this orphanage. Did we not tell you that?" I nervously chuckled. I just couldn't handle being different anymore. I wanted to "pretend" like Riley always did. I wanted to have a loving family that cared about me. I wanted to be normal. Was I that pathetic?

"No...but this is something new. Why are you in your PJ's then?" Cory pointed to both our light blue flannel PJ's the orphanage gave us for Christmas.

"Uh..." I started, not really knowing how to explain why we were in our PJ's.

"It's pajama day! We have those once a month." This surprisingly, was coming from Riley, my moral compass. I raised my eyebrow at her. She was smiling because she came up with a good lie to cover for us!

I looked back at Cory and Shawn. "Yeah, it's pajama day. The orphans love that kind of stuff. But we're really busy so you have to leave now," I was about to close the door in their faces until Shawn stuck his foot in the door.

"Wait! We were gonna ask you guys if you wanted to shoot some hoops with us." _Shoot hoops? _I preferred baseball, but I was also good in basketball in gym class. Ranger Rick and I were always the team captains and we tried to beat each other all the time. Mostly we tied. Ah, I missed those days.

Just as I was about to accept the offer, Riley jumped in, "We really can't today," and she slammed the door shut. I gave Riley a shock look.

"Hey! I wanted to go," I protested.

"Maya, we can't just leave. And besides, I think we shouldn't hang out with them anymore. Who knows what kind of trouble we'll get into? We were lucky to get out of my uncle turning into my dad!" So, she did have a point. As long as we were stuck in the past, it was best that we tried not to change anything else and stay away from Cory and Shawn.

* * *

Although I personally did not like the idea, Riley and I managed to stay away from the boys for three weeks. We could have gone longer, but one morning in Mr. Feeny's class changed everything. What a surprise! (Note the sarcasm?)

After the class finished watching an episode of "Leave it to Beaver", Mr. Feeny turned the lights on and began his discussion.

"Back in the prehistoric 1950s when Cleavers strode the earth The U.S, Census indicated that a model American family had a mother, a father, and two children-"

Cory scoffed. "Leftovers," he said.

"What are you talking about, Mr. Matthews?" Mr. Feeny asked.

"Well, last year in fifth grade we divided up into families and solved problems," Cory explained. "It's sixth grade now, Mr. Feeny. Families are yesterday's news."

Mr. Feeny nodded his head understandingly. "Very well. This year, I shall let you form into urban gangs."

"Cool," I smirked.

"Each gang will have a mother, a father, and two children." The whole class groaned together."In this assignment each participant will help the other to become an ideal family member." As Mr. Feeny spoke, he wrote "Ideal Family" on the board. Then he nodded toward Riley and me. "For instance, Miss Matthews and Miss Hart will be paired as sisters." I smiled at Riley, who turned around in her chair to give me a smile. "Mr. Hunter and Mr. Minkus will be paired as brothers."

"Oh no," Shawn and Minkus slapped their hands against their own foreheads simultaneously, much like they always did when Mr. Feeny paired them up together.

"Trust me. You are going to enjoy this. I know I shall," Mr. Feeny smirked. "Now, each of you will write a profile of a model sibling. Then each of you must become that sibling."

Minkus snickered. "You mean Shawn has to act exactly like I want him to?" Mr. Feeny nodded his head.

Cory chuckled and poked fun at Shawn. "You're gonna be Minkus' brother. I'd hate to be the guy who had them for sons."

Mr. Feeny walked up to Cory's desk. "Funny you should say that, Mr. Matthews or, as I like to call you Dad."

"He's gonna be my father?" Minkus asked.

"He's going to be our father?" Riley asked with the same level of concern and surprise as Minkus. _So much for trying to stay away from Cory..._

"Yes!" Cory smiled in triumph.

"And Miss Lawrence, your mother," Mr. Feeny concluded. Topanga rotated herself in her seat and smiled at Cory.

"No!" Cory protested.

I raised up my hand. "Wait, I thought there were only supposed to be two children. You made our family have four."

"Yes well, this seems to be much better. I'm curious to see how six of you manage to handle a situation like this."

_Why did Mr. Feeny have to teach us a lesson every day? Why couldn't he just be a normal teacher and make us read from a stupid textbook?_

* * *

After school, Riley and I had no choice but to go over to Cory's place to work on our project. This time though, was different because Minkus was with us. Riley, Minkus, Topanga, and I were sitting around the kitchen table with Cory sitting on his kitchen counter and Shawn getting food from the fridge. We each had written a profile of what we expected our partners to become.

"l am Topanga's model husband-" Cory read off his sheet before he was cut off by Shawn's snickering.

"I'm sorry. I'm just flat-out looking forward to this."

Cory rolled his eyes before he continued, "l live my life in harmony with the physical and metaphysical world aligned with the Navajo spiritual path." He nodded uncertainly. "Uh huh. Okay. Um, I could do that. I'd love to do that. There's just one little thing that might throw this off just a smidge."

"What?" Topanga asked.

"I'm not a Navajo!"

"You don't have to be a Native American to be in tune with nature," Topanga argued.

"Don't you hate it when Mom and Dad fight?" Minkus asked.

"No. Into it." Shawn responded.

Riley got up from her seat. "Well, I'm not into it. If we're gonna be a family we have to first learn how to be friends."

"Well, I've got something here that'll take the fight right out of Mom." Cory handed Topanga the profile he made for her. "Read it and weep, little big hair."

"My model wife won't care how dirty my room gets. She will always let me win at video games. She will play street hockey at any time, day or night." Topanga lifted her eyes to look at Cory and Shawn. "Why don't you just marry Shawn?"

Cory and Shawn exchanged disgusted looks before Cory responded, "'cause our kids would look like horses."

I was about to say something, but then Riley caught where I was going with what I was about to say. "Be quiet Maya."

"But Riley, you would look like a horse." Everybody else turned to give me a confused look. I really had to shut up about the things I let slip out. "Uh, I mean, if you were actually her dad. I mean you guys look so alike you could actually be related! With the same last names and everything. But that's...so not possible." Why was I still rambling on? "Right Riles?" She only gave me a disapproving look. "Alright then, my turn." Riley handed me her profile for me. "My model sister will be as corky and happy as me. She will be polite, peppy, and wear bright colors..." Shawn burst out of laughter. "What's so funny Hunter?" I asked.

"Oh, it's just the day you become Riley's model sister will be the day I get an A on a test." _Oh, Maya Hart never backs out of a bet._

"Are you suggesting we should bet on this?" I almost forgot everybody else was in the room listening to both of us bicker. But it just came so natural to us and it was the way we got along.

"Let's shake on it," he said. And we did.

* * *

"Oh, Maya. Why did you have to do that? Haven't you learned anything already? We're not supposed to do things that can change the future for us." Riley was more like a nagging mother than a sister to me. We were back at the orphanage after Eric came in right after Shawn and I made the bet acting like a male model. It was so weird. I mean, I'd never actually met Riley's uncle when we were in the future, except for Josh who I had a massive crush on, but Eric never seemed to visit.

"Come on, it's just a harmless bet. What could go wrong?" I asked as we were both looking through our very small closets trying to find something to wear for our presentation tomorrow.

"Everything." Riley responded. "It's a bet. It's gambling. You can change the course of their lives! _Our _lives."

"Riley, this is not a TV show. Things like that only happen in TV shows." I smirked. I picked up a yellow top Riley had flung over her shoulder and pressed it up against my body as I looked myself in the mirror. "Oh, Hunter's gonna lose this bet." Riley turned to look at me and gave me a stern look.

"What if you make him fall in love with you or something?"

I froze. _God, why did she have to ask me that?_ In the back of my mind I knew there was something going on with the way Shawn acted toward me, but because I was irresponsible, I didn't do anything to prevent it from happening. Why wasn't I stopping Shawn from liking me?

I scoffed nervously. "Don't be crazy Riles. Shawn's only a kid. _I'm _just a kid. There's no way he has feelings for me. I'll prove it to you."

Riley shrugged her shoulders. "Alright. Did you finish writing a profile for me?" I nodded my head and handed her the profile I was too lazy to make beforehand to her. "My model sister will not butt into my life. She will do everything I tell her to do and be a troublemaker. She will want to get a tattoo..." Riley lifted her eyes to look and me and her jaw dropped.

"Hey, your the one that wants me to be 'Peppy Maya'. Now you're going to be 'Rebel Riley'."

* * *

I had been really looking forward to go to school next day. The six of us were going to act so differently and I was looking forward for everything to end up in a disaster. It was going to be my entertainment for the day._  
_

Mr. Feeny picked my group last to go up and present. As we settled ourselves at the front of the class, I could hear Shawn, who was wearing glasses and a tan sweater vest whispering in my ear, "Ready to lose?"

"No, but are you nerd?" I answered back cleverly. For my attire, I was wearing a bright yellow shirt tucked into a pink skirt with pigtails. I might as well have been put into a kindergarten classroom. I looked ridiculous, and yet I still managed to pull off a fake smile the entire time.

"So, this family's crisis- the older, cooler brother and sister want to get a tattoo. Conflicts abound," Mr. Feeny started off. "Take it away, younger, uncool brother."

In a nasal voice, Shawn said, "I can't fathom why any human being in full possession of his faculties would want to render himself permanently disfigured with so-called 'body art'." He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "Whoa. I'm such a good geek I scared myself."

"Listen, pinhead, it's my body," a cool, laid back Minkus argued back. "And I'll do whatever I want with it unless maybe you'd like to try and stop me you woodchuck faced, nearsighted underweight, future I.R.S auditor."

"Cheerful younger sister, what do you have to say about this?" Mr. Feeny asked, referring to me.

"Uh," I looked over at Shawn and remembered to put on a forced smile. "Tattoo's are bad. We should appreciate our body for what it gives us and not cover it up with art!"

"I don't have to listen to you ya little runt. I'm older so I'll do whatever I want." Riley argued back.

"Okay!" Topanga said in an annoyed voice, wearing Cory's Phillies shirt. "You live under our roof. We make the decisions. No tattoos. Tattoos, you, no."

"A person's body is his temple," Cory answered in a calm, soothing tone sitting crossed-legged on top of the table. "If our children want to ornament their temple with tattoos, let them worship in their own way."

"I've decided, without benefit of discussion with my spouse- because that's the kind of husband I know you'll be- the tattoo will have to wait." Topanga said. Minkus stood up, then ripped opened up his button shirt like superman would to reveal a dragon tattoo plastered all over his little body.

"Whoa, cool." Shawn said impressed. Then he turned to look at me. "Are you gonna open up your shirt too? Did you get a tattoo?" he winked. I wanted to barf.

I rolled my eyes. "Get help Hunter. But by the way, I win the bet." I smirked. He scoffed.

Topanga smiled. "Stuart, a tattoo. It speaks to me."

"Okay, that's enough. Everybody loves Minkus' tattoo. Can we move on now?" Riley said, evidently uncomfortable with Topanga beginning to show interest in Minkus.

"Minkus, what's the deal? We agreed on no tattoo," Cory said.

"Mr. Feeny's assignment was to solve a family problem and I decided to solve it my way. Well, actually, his way." Minkus pointed to Shawn. "The tattoo is just a press-on."

"Great. Thanks for screwing up the assignment," Cory said sarcastically.

Mr. Feeny shook his head. "On the contrary, Mr. Matthews. Mr. Minkus didn't screw up the assignment at all."

"But we had our family discussion all planned out, and he messed it up," Riley said.

"Yeah, he broke the rules." I added.

"Which is exactly what happens in real families. There is no model household. There are no model parents."

"I think the only way you can judge a family is by how much love there is in the home," Topanga reflected.

Mr. Feeny smiled and nodded his head. "Excellent point, Miss Lawrence. A family is a living, breathing thing that requires constant adjustment and change."

"But Beaver's dad never changed. You always knew what he was gonna say," Cory said.

"Beaver's dad wasn't real. Real fathers have to adapt," Mr. Feeny answered.

"I know you'll adapt Cory." Riley said.

"How do you know?" Cory questioned.

Riley thought about it for a moment. "I just do."

* * *

A week after the model family project occurred (which, by the way we got an A on), Mr. Feeny assigned us another project in which we had to work in pairs and invest an imaginary one thousand dollars in something. Riley and I were paired up (no surprise there), Cory and Shawn were partners also. It was pretty evident they had not done any work on their project on the day we had to present our progress reports. Mr. Feeny made them stay after class for a few minutes to lecture them.

As Riley and I were walking done the halls on our way out of the school, we overheard Topanga and Minkus talking about their great progress on their project.

"I'm glad our company is making money because as the future mother of my children you are going to live in the lap of luxury because I am a provider, babe," Minkus flirted.

Riley looked at me and rolled her eyes. "She's not going to marry you Minkus."

"Yeah, I hate to break it to you little nerd, but everything's gonna change pretty soon," I said. Just then, Cory and Shawn came up behind us.

"Minkus, anyone can draw lines on a chart and say they're making money," Cory spoke.

"You know, you guys are big talk because you're bigger than me but when it comes to using your brains how confident are you?" Minkus asked, standing tall and confident.

Shawn scoffed. "More confidenter than you."

Minkus crossed his arms across his chest and scrunched up his nose. "I say we forget Feeny's imaginary money and we invest real money and see who comes out on top."

"I don't have a real one thousand dollars," Cory said.

"You get an allowance, don't you?"

"That five bucks is sacred. That's my snack money."

"Afraid?" Minkus teased.

"No." Shawn responded.

"Yes!" Cory said.

I got in between the three fighting twelve year old boys. "I wanna get in on this too. Make it ten."

Cory's jaw dropped. "Are you nuts?"

"Fifteen," Minkus challenged.

Cory threw his hands in the air. "Apparently, I'm invisible."

Shawn and Minkus kept on going until Cory had enough. "Topanga, make them stop talking."

"As an equal partner in our corporation I'd like to have a voice in this," Topanga said to Minkus.

"It's me against them in a battle of wits."

Topanga smiled. "Three hundred thousand dollars."

"Ten bucks it is," Riley shook Minkus' hand.

"There's a sucker born every minute," Minkus said to Topanga and then looked back at us. "Four that minute." And then they left.

* * *

We all agreed that we would bet our ten dollars on a horse that Shawn's uncle would pick out for us. That same day we all went over to Cory's house and waited for the results of the horse race.

"We bet our whole week's allowance on a horse. I can't breathe. My lungs can't take it. I gotgastritis." Cory wrapped both his hands around his own throat. I just stared at him. He really was Riley's father.

"Relax drama queen. What's the worst that could happen?" I asked.

"We could get caught for gambling underage and then get sent to jail where we will rot for the rest of our lives," Riley pointed out.

"Oh," I said once I realized she was right. "Well, we're living on the edge. It's risky business but it's worth it."

"I agree with Maya," Shawn smirked at me. I stick my tongue out at him as he picked up a red-heart-shaped-like card from the table. "Hey, who sent you a valentine?" he asked Cory. Oh that's right, Valentine's Day was coming up in just a few days. It made me a little sad, to think that Riley and I were transported on Valentine's Day back in 2015 and so far we still hadn't found a way to get back to our normal time.

I moved myself closer to Shawn and opened up the card. "Dear 'Boom-Boom'?" I asked.

"That's what my dad calls my mom when he thinks no one's listening," Cory explained.

"Boom-Boom?"

"Yeah, it makes me sick, too."

Shawn read out loud, "Roses are red, violets are blue, Valentine's Monday, let's rendezvous?"

Cory shrugged his shoulders. "They're always leaving goofy notes for each other- secret meetings, romantic weekends. When you're a parent, that's all you have left."

"Oh, you'll know pretty soon Cory," Riley smirked.

"Why do you keep implying I'm going to be a parent? I'm going to become a famous baseball player. And baseball players don't have time for kids."

Before the poor and helpless Riley could come up with a come-back, the announcer came on the radio. After the big commotion and excitement Cory and Shawn created, the finally told us we had won ninety-nine dollars. Both of them grabbed each other's shoulders and shouted at the top of their lungs. Mrs. Matthews came into the room.

"We won!" Cory shouted excitedly.

"He means the Flyers. Sudden death overtime goal. Very exciting," Shawn lied, trying to cover up Cory's slip up.

"You guys act like you had money on the game," Mrs. Matthews said.

"They're boys. They get excited over anything that has to do with sports," I said chuckling nervously. Mrs. Matthews nodded her head in agreement. After she found the valentine's card Mr. Matthews had left her, she asked Cory if he could babysit Morgan and he accepted. Then she walked out of the kitchen happily.

"You almost spilled the beans to Boom-Boom," Shawn breathed, pushing his hair back.

"Hey, we just won a hundred bucks," Cory realized. Then, out of nowhere, Cory and Shawn started doing this weird handshake/dance that ended in them sort of disco-dancing. I scoffed at them.

"You call that a secret-handshake?" I mocked.

"Like you can do any better," Shawn challenged.

I looked at Riley and she nodded. We did our hair flip-handshake which always ended up with us saying, "Stop it," and then smiling at each other.

Both Cory and Shawn laughed. "That was pathetic! It doesn't even compare to ours," Cory said.

"Okay, we don't need to go into a battle of best hand-shakes here. Did we really win a hundred dollars?" Riley asked. She was always the peacemaker.

"Yes! Can you believe it?! We can do anything now," Cory smiled happily.

* * *

The next day at school, Cory and Shawn gladly presented their progress report to the class.

"After careful market analysis, product testing, and strategic planning, we bet on Tuna Melt to win," Cory pointed to some lines on his graph.

Minkus' jaw dropped. "You gambled with your ten dollars?"

"It's a thousand dollars," Mr. Feeny corrected, unaware of what was really going on.

"What do you think of that Minki? Jealous?" I asked, amused by the way Minkus kept squirming in his seat. He just ignored me.

"You invested your money on a racehorse?" Mr. Feeny asked Cory.

Cory nodded. "And we won."

Minkus began to panic. "Call the police, Mr. Feeny! It's illegal for minors to bet!"

"Get a grip Minkus. It's not real. They didn't actually bet," I smirked.

Minkus glared back at me. "I despise you."

"Matthews and Hunter have demonstrated a basic tenet of American free enterprise- the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward."

"Oh, please," Minkus scoffed.

Topanga smiled admirably while looking specifically at Cory, I might add. "I think they were very bold."

Minkus rolled his eyes. "Gold digger," he spat.

* * *

That same day, we all agreed to bet the hundred dollars we won again and this time, we ended up winning six hundred and eighty dollars. While Cory and Shawn were counting the money over and over again on Valentine's Day, Riley and I were at home getting ready for our final presentation the next day.

"Hey, have you ever thought of what 'Martha the Bean Stock' might be doing right now?" Riley asked me after we finished practicing our presentation. We both secretly nicknamed Martha 'Bean Stock' because of her height. Lately, she hadn't been one of our worries because she mostly stayed in her room all the time so we barely saw her.

"I don't know, planning her revenge on you for tripping her at supper a few months ago?" I suggested. When I saw the look of horror on Riley's face, I wrapped my arms around her in comfort. "Hey, I was just joking. She probably forgot about the whole thing. I mean, nobody can hold a grudge on someone like you for that long." Boy was I wrong.

As we were walking down the hallway on our way out to go check up on Cory and Shawn with the money just in case they didn't get even more crazy and spend it all already, Martha came out of her room and I accidentally bumped into her.

"Watch where you're going you little scum. Don't think I don't know there's something weird going on with you two. Don't think I haven't forgotten you hid something the day I came into your room."

"Calm down Bean Stock," I accidentally let slip. Riley nudged me hard in the ribs. Great, I had done it now.

"Bean Stock? Real clever. You think you're so cool because you've won over Nurse Millar but everybody in the orphanage is going to find out what you're hiding very soon. That's a promise I'll make," she threatened. A cold chill ran down my body, but I tried not to show how much she really intimidated me.

We managed to run out of there without a scratch. Martha was planning something big, I knew it. She was going to do something that could possibly expose us for sure. But I just couldn't tell Riley that. She was scared enough of her already.

We arrived to the Matthews backyard in time to see Cory freaking out about something to Mr. Feeny. "I did a bad thing. I did a terrible thing. I thought I couldn't lose. I took a risk I never should have."

"Calm down, Mr. Matthews. It's just imaginary money."

"No, but it was my real baby sister. I took a chance and left her by herself. Someone broke in and kidnapped her," Cory explained. Riley ran up quickly to Cory.

"Wait, what happened to Morgan?" she asked concernedly.

"Morgan's in the tree house," Mr. Feeny said.

"What? Morgan!" Cory climbed up the tree house and a few minutes later came down with Morgan.

"Gosh, Cory you almost scared me to death!" Riley shouted. She took Morgan inside and Cory came up to meet me at the picket fence with Mr. Feeny. His hands were in his pocket and he was looking at the floor in shame.

"I know what I did was wrong Mr. Feeny. I shouldn't have left Morgan alone. I'm never going to gamble on anything that I can't afford to lose."_  
_

"I didn't teach you that," Mr. Feeny said.

Cory shrugged his shoulders. "I know you didn't. I kind of managed to trip over that one myself."

* * *

In the end, Cory and Shawn's investment was the most successful one, and that teared Minkus up inside. Now who says that gambling is a bad thing?

Minkus remained in his seat after school, solemnly reflecting about everything he'd ever known. Just as Riley and I were getting ready to leave the classroom with everybody else gone except for Mr. Feeny and Minkus, Shawn returned and handed Minkus a card.

"You know, Stu, I was so busy counting money yesterday I completely forgot to give you your valentine card. No hard feelings, eh, big brain?" And then Shawn left the room again. But not before winking at both Riley and me.

"They're up to somethin'," I whispered to my best friend. We hung around the door, waiting to see what would happen.

Minkus stared at the card suspiciously. "Should I open it?" he asked Mr. Feeny. "I know it's just going to be insulting and mean."

"Sticks and stones may break your bones but words can never hurt you," Mr. Feeny quoted. When he saw that Minkus didn't get it, he simply said, "I made that up."

Minkus nodded understandingly. He opened the card and read, "Happy Valentine's Day. Turn around." When he turned around, Cory and Shawn came in holding toy guns shooting little tiny balls at Minkus and Mr. Feeny. Minkus took cover as Mr. Feeny took out a toy gun that he had confiscated from the boys a long time from inside his desk. It was fun to be in the presence of all this joy and happiness. I knew Riley felt the same way. But we both knew, deep down inside that we were getting homesick. And the events that were to follow after this were not going to be easy.

* * *

**VERY IMPORTANT Author's Note:**

**I found out today that Girl Meets World Wiki is holding a Girl Meets World Fanfiction contest and I have decided to enter. My account username is the same one that I have here. If I get a lot of votes my story will continue. This is my Christmas present to you guys! A new story. It has to be based on Riley. I was thinking of making it have something to do with this story? Like write the Christmas episode differently so that it would fit in with this story? It would be like a prequel to what Riley thinks about Christmas and the events that happen before she and Maya get transported one and a half months later. What do you guys think? Please vote for me and I'll publish the story on fanfiction! :) Story is posted now. It's called Home is the Hart of the Holidays. Check it out! More info about this in my profile.**

**I just have to ask, what did you guys think of Home for the Holidays?! Amazing, wasn't it? Too bad there's another hiatus and we have to wait till January for Master Plan (which will include Shawn's second appearance into the show). Please don't forget to check out my next chapter for this story, "Crossing the Line" because it will be the climax of season 1. Yes, that is The Fugitive episode. It certainly changes everything for Riley and Maya and secrets will be revealed to some characters and even to you readers as well! Because it is a very important part, I have decided to make it into a two-part chapter like I did for the Christmas one. Till next week!**

**P.S- Don't forget to check the link in my profile for the Tumblr Q&amp;A for this chapter!**

**Quote of the week:**

"Take the money to the bank, deposit it, and come right back...take my mommy to see Frank, clean my closet, and take a nap." **-Eric Matthews**

**-Mimi1239**


	13. Crossing the Line

**Hey readers! I managed to survive this week with three tests, a band practice, and a Christmas concert at my high school! Thanks guys, for keeping me strong and waiting _patiently_ while I do my other things outside of my story. Patient is a virtue, my friends! Cannot wait for you to read this chapter. You will finally find out a major secret about a certain character that I have been hinting to you a few times already. Read and find out! By the way, I watched a short clip on YouTube about an episode of Party of Five Rider Strong guest-starred in a long time ago and there's a particular scene in that that I WILL use in this story. But that won't come till much later though. Try to guess what I'm talking about! I'd like to give a shout out to those that reviewed my previous chapter: Esthernight, Alyssa, OtakuGirl21, georgiaarms 101, L.H, jenna323.m, Guest, Jack, Ali6132, Ariel, Guest, Guest, Twinkletoes626, OTHFAN26, Nat-Marie, Glee Clue Rock 1251, and LoveShipper.**

**P.S: I recommend those of you guests that review my chapters to include a name so that I can at least identify you every time you review :) On with the show now!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or it's spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

Riley's Point of View

_**Thursday, February 24th, 1994, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time 9:00 A.M**_

Today, I missed the bus because I overslept. I had sworn I set my alarm clock for 7:00 A.M. _Whatever..._ Maya went to school earlier because she said she had a big art project she needed to finish. The thunder storm outside made it difficult for me to run hurriedly all the way to school. I hated being late. When I finally arrived to the classroom, everybody was crowded around in a group except for Maya and Cory gossiping about something. By the looks of it, Mr. Feeny hadn't arrived to school yet.

"What happened to you?" Maya asked me when she saw me enter the class soaked and wet.

"My alarm clock didn't wake me up!" I managed to say as I tried to catch my breath.

"That's probably Bean Stock's doing. I mean I don't want to scare you Riles, but she's after you. After all, she said it herself." My mind almost instantly went back to the threat Martha gave me last week.

"Don't remind me. But I apologized!" I whined. Then I looked behind Maya to see everybody still gathered around each other. "What's that?" I pointed to the other kids.

"Shawn blew up a mailbox yesterday. Nobody's seen him since." Maya looked over her shoulder to make sure nobody was listening. "I think Cory knows something about it," she whispered.

"Why do you say that?" I whispered back.

"Because he's been sweating like a pig ever since Minkus and Topanga brought it up," she replied. "And we're gonna find out what he's hiding," Maya smirked.

I gasped. "You want to sneak into his house?" Maya nodded.

"You don't know anything about it!" Cory said angrily to Minkus and Topanga as they were making fun of Shawn. Mr. Feeny walked into the classroom, a little wet from the rain.

"Sorry I'm late," Mr. Feeny apologized as he settled his brief case on his desk. "I see you've all heard about Mr. Hunter's little stunt yesterday. I just spoke with his parents. Evidently, Shawn didn't come home last night. I imagine no one here has heard from him." He looked directly at Cory.

"I don't know anything!" Cory exclaimed.

"I was referring to the whole class Mr. Matthews," said Mr. Feeny.

"Oh, right. I knew that." Cory chuckled nervously.

The rest of the day went by kind of slow. Cory kept making horrified faces as Mr. Feeny read poems. It was so distracting yet so funny._Poor Dad, he was just like me..._ It was so obvious he knew where Shawn was.

* * *

After school, Maya and I followed Cory home. I know it was sort of weird, but Maya insisted that we find out where Shawn was hiding. Just as we saw Cory walked into his house and close the door behind him, Maya dragged me to Cory's backyard and we climbed up the tree house and into Cory's room. Shawn was just getting out of his hiding spot under Cory's bed just as we entered through the window.

"Well, well, well," Maya smirked. "Look at yourself Hunter. You're hiding from everyone because you're a fugitive and you're wearing Cory's clothes," she teased. I had to admit, Cory's clothes on Shawn was really funny. Because Shawn was taller and bigger than Cory, his clothes hung tight on his body. Cory's shirt and pants were way too small on Shawn.

Shawn glared at Maya. "Oh, that was so funny I forgot to laugh. How'd you find me anyway?"

Maya pointed at Cory who walked into the room. "We followed your little spy home."

"Hey! How'd you know I keep Shawn here?" Cory pouted, sounding disappointed that we were able to figure out his secret.

"You're so transparent Cory," said Maya.

"So you came here to visit because you missed me at school today?" Shawn asked flirtatiously wrapping his arm around Maya shoulder. _Real smooth, Uncle Shawn..._

"Ha, ha. Get real Hunter," Maya said emotionless grabbing Shawn's arm, pushing it behind her shoulder, crossed her arms over her own chest and huffed.

Even in the most serious situations, Shawn still managed to flirt with Maya. And no surprise, she didn't reciprocate his feelings.

Cory rolled his eyes and turned his attention to his friend. "Feeny said your parents came by the school," Cory explained.

Shawn focused his eyes on his curly-haired best friend. "You didn't say anything, did you?"

"Well, he was working me all right, but I was a stone," Cory bragged.

Maya scoffed. "Oh sure you were. You were freaking out the entire day. I'm surprised you didn't spill the beans to everybody already."

"Well, you're not going to say anything right?" Shawn asked, looking worried at the two of us.

I shook my head. "No, we're not going to tell on you. But how long are you going to keep this up? I mean, Cory's parents are going to find out eventually right?"

"I'll run away if I have to," responded Shawn in an angry voice. "My parents are not going to forgive me." Cory shook his head disapprovingly and walked over and sat on his bed. "Cory, all our lives we've done these little things but we've always stayed on this side of the line," Shawn explained, pretending there was an imaginary line on the floor.

"What line?" asked Cory.

"The line that separates the little bad from the big bad- the line I blow up with my cherry bomb," Shawn explained. "I really crossed the line this time guys."

"Cory!" Cory's dad's voice traveled upstairs. "I need to talk to you!"

"I'm alone!" Cory panicked as he pushed Maya and I out the window.

"Go home Hunter," Maya advisedly whispered before we climbed down the tree hastily and thankfully landed on the ground safety. We suddenly realized Mr. Feeny had been watching us the entire time. He was sitting in a lawn chair holding an umbrella behind his picket fence! Both of us stood frozen.

"Hiding Mr. Hunter in Mr. Mathews' room, I see," Mr. Feeny said. I sighed in frustration. Rain dripping down my face.

"He's afraid to go back home Mr. Feeny. Please don't tell anybody he's here," I begged. Mr. Feeny shook his head.

"I don't have to. Mr. Matthews parents and Mr. Hunter's parents already know he's here."

"What? How'd they know?" asked Maya.

Mr. Feeny lightly chuckled amusingly. "This is the only place where Mr. Hunter would run to. But we all agreed to let Mr. Hunter come home at his own will. And we hope that Mr. Matthews will guide him to that decision."

"We hope so too," I stated.

* * *

Maya and I ended up staying at the mall for a few hours. When it started getting dark, we walked home. The thunderstorm was getting worse. We made our way back to the orphanage and arrived just before eight o'clock. For a second I found it strange how everything was suddenly so quiet. Then I realized it was Thursday and Nurse Millar liked to take the orphans to the library across the street every Tuesdays and Thursdays so that they could check out some books.

As we walked down the dark and empty hallway shaking our wet bodies dry, Maya brought up a good point. "We've seen Nurse Millar before Riles. Haven't we?"

"You've noticed that too?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, it's like she's someone from our time that we've managed to bump into. I mean she doesn't like telling us her first name or anything about herself- hey look!" Maya paused in her tracks stopping in front of Nurse Millar's closed room. "She left her door unlocked," Maya said twisting the knob a little and pushed it open.

Nurse Millar never liked to leave her room unlocked for some strange reason when she left the orphanage, it was as if she was distrusting of something, or _someone._

I shook my head disapprovingly. "Maya, come on, let's not do this. What if she gets mad at us? I don't want to get in trouble! She must have it locked for a reason."

"Yeah, and we're going to find out," she smiled evilly. Maya was just about to enter Nurse Millar's room when I caught her arm.

"Wait!" I sighed in frustration. "You just _love _detective work, don't you?" Maya didn't respond back, but dragged me into Nurse Millar's dark room instead.

"Alright," she said clasping her hands together. "We need to find some type of document that gives us her name and stuff." Maya went directly to a drawer and opened it up. She began to throw some papers behind her shoulder carelessly.

"Maya! Be careful with that! We don't want Nurse Millar to know we were in here."

Maya ignored me for the most part.

"Aha! I've got it. Nurse Millar's passport." Maya pulled out a little black book. She opened it up and with the little flashlight I found on top of Nurse Millar's dresser, we were able to read the identity. "Born in New York, 1965 on August 14-" Maya paused and looked at me.

"She was born in New York. You think that means anything?"

"Her name- is Evelyn. Do we know an Evelyn?" Maya asked.

_"Perhaps someone would like to give their seat to someone older?" the older lady asked the day I met Lucas on the subway. Lucas was about to get up from his seat. "__Oh, not you, sweet potato pie," she smiled sweetly._

_I got up from my seat. "Please don't make me move. __I just want to see where this goes."_

_"I've just worked a 12-hour shift and I just want to see where this goes,"__she slapped her butt. "Mmm-kay?"_

_I nodded sadly understandingly. "Mmm-kay."_

"Oh my god," I said in realization. "Nurse Millar is Crazy Hat Lady! The woman we kept seeing on the subway!"

Maya's jaw dropped. "You're right!"

"I can't believe we figured it out. Wait, what does this mean now?" Suddenly, the door slammed shut, the flashlight fell on the floor and turned off, and the room was dark. This was when everything changed...

"Bravo ladies," a rough voice broke the silence. Perspiration began to race up and down my back. I was terrified.

"What's going on?" Maya demanded in her tough voice. "Who's in here?" Maya rushed to turn on a lamp and it was revealed standing by the locked door was Martha the Bean Stock.

"So this is what you've been hiding huh?" Martha teased, pulling out Shawn's black photo album from behind her back. "I knew you guys were hiding something. What is this? You losers are from the future, right?"

"No!" answered my shaky voice.

"You went into our room Bean Stock? Nurse Millar's gonna hear about this!" Maya shouted angrily.

"Ooh, what you're gonna do? Sneak into my room and look through my stuff? Nurse Millar's gonna hear about _this_," she threatened.

"A lame photo album is not gonna prove we're from the future. And we're not!" Maya argued.

"You pathetic wimps! Don't try to deny it. I'm going to make sure everybody finds out who you are, and get you kicked out of this freaking orphanage!" Martha slapped the photo album to the floor and raced to get a hold of one of us.

I tripped on the rug and landed on the hard floor. A flower vase fell and broke into a million pieces right next to me. I cut my arm and immediately started bleeding as I was trying to get up. Martha got on top of me and wrapped her hands around my throat. Her knees dug into my elbows. I screamed in pain. I began to cough as I felt my wind pipe blocking out the air from entering my lungs. Martha's weight on my stomach and chest wasn't doing much to ease the pain I felt. My vision began to get blurry. I was about to pass out until Maya jumped on top of Martha's back and tried to beat her fists onto her back. Martha sort of got up for a bit to shake Maya off and that gave me enough time to get on my feet and run to the window.

"Riley run!" Maya screamed at me as Martha threw Maya off her back and Maya fell backwards to the floor. I jolted on top of the bed and climbed to the window. Maya surprisingly was right behind me. I safely jumped out and landed on the ground with a "thud". Just as Maya was about to do the same, Martha grabbed a hold of Maya's foot. I tried as hard as I could to pull Maya out.

"Maya!" I shrieked. With her other foot, Maya kicked Martha in the face and that made Martha let go of Maya's foot to clutch her bleeding nose.

"Ah! You bitch!" she shouted. Maya and I both fell on the wet grass but quickly picked ourselves up. The sound of lightening hit my ears harder than it ever had before. I was drenched in rain already. The cut on my arm burned as I hit the ground. I had bumped my head pretty hard but I tried not to show it so that Maya wouldn't worry about me. _We lost Shawn's photo album,_ I thought to myself, feeling tears well up in my eyes. I couldn't believe it. But I had other things in my mind to worry about at that moment. We ran as far away from the orphanage that we had stayed in for months and months as our weak legs could take us. As we did, we had no idea where we were going, but we knew where we were not going back.

We ran as fast as we could into the street and into the dark and stormy night...

* * *

**Author's Note: Nurse Millar is Crazy Hat Lady! Next chapter, someone else finds out a secret. I was surprised because nobody guessed it right. I guess it was because nobody really told me what they thought, although someone guessed Nurse Millar was Geralyn Thompson (lunch lady) which was a very good guess but I wasn't sure which of the two I should have made to be Nurse Millar. I thought Crazy Hat Lady had more things going as far as her story-line. In the pilot of Girl Meets World, I thought Crazy Hat Lady was a nurse, and thus this character was born. Next chapter: everything changes. It gets crazy!**

**Please don't forget to vote for my Home for the Holidays chapter 1 on the main page of the Girl Meets World Wiki website. It's a poll, you can't miss it ;) You have till December 15 to vote before they announce who gets eliminated. Reminder that I already posted that first chapter in Fanfiction from the contest! Check it out and leave me a review!**

**IMPORTANT SCHEDULING NOTE: Even after I posted a reason on Tumbr (link in my profile) about why I cannot update at least twice a week, I still received reviews insisting that I should. So as I was showering a few days ago (remember I mentioned that's my thinking-place) I came up with a solution! I know you guys are eager to find out what I will do in season 2, as I am anxiously waiting to write those chapters, and season 1 has been dragging long enough I guess, I decided to listen to you guys and publish the remaining chapters for season 1 only TWICE a week. Every Sunday and Wednesday! By the end of the month, season 1 will be over. Since I have exams for semester 1 in the end of January, I will start posting chapters from season 2 once a week again. And I've also got a condition, each of the remaining chapters from season 1 will be a lot shorter because I won't have a lot of time to write them. But trust me, they will be good. Happy reviewing!**

**P.S- Don't forget to check the link on my profile for the Q&amp;A from last chapter (I spoiled something in it, by the way)**

**Quote of the week:**

"Shhh, Shawn's speaking in public. This will never happen again in our lives." **-Cory Matthews**

**-Mimi1239**


	14. Secret's Out!

**Early update, but you guys are worth it for sure! This chapter is particularly significant because of a lot of reasons. Maya starts to take interest in something that sets the ground for who she will be for the main part of the story. We'll start to learn more about Mr. Feeny and the inner battle he has fought with himself for a long time. You can see it a little in the show, but that will be explored more here. 20 years ago today, the Turnaround episode in season 2 premiered. Cory said if anybody asked in 20 years, all of their dates were in the bathroom, remember?! By the way, my prequel story (Home is the Hart of the Holidays) is still in the running! I'll have chapter 2 ready by Sunday hopefully. Thank you to those who voted! I'd like to give a shout-out to those who reviewed my previous chapter: Guest, Broadwaygirl21, jenna323.m, mhernandez5, L.H, HK, Kelsey, lilLaine02, Alyssa, Ali6132, Guest, Waffleslover98, PrincessOfLetFandoms, Glee Clue Rock 1251, Stephanie, and LoveShipper.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

Maya's Point of View

**_Friday, February 25th, 1994, Philadelphia_**

**_Past time 12:03 A.M_**

"Well, I guess the room is empty. What a perfect time to set fire to my desk." That was all it took for me to scramble to my feet and crawl out from under Feeny's desk. Riley, on the other hand, had a bit of trouble doing so because she kept bumping her head under the desk, struggling and freaking out because she couldn't get out. As we both lifted our heads from under the desk, we realized it was just Mr. Feeny.

"Oh, hi Mr. Feeny. What're you doing at school at this hour?" I asked awkwardly, trying to lighten the mood from the horrible situation we were in. My legs hurt like crazy, I had a bloody scar on my right upper cheek (right below my eye) and one on my lip. Riley told me she had one on her arm, a few scratches on her neck, and a headache. When it occurred to us that we couldn't go to the police because there would be millions and millionsof questions being asked, and most of the which we could not answer, we decided the safest place to sneak into was inside our very own elementary school. The part about Feeny coming in and catching us sleeping under his desk was definitely not part of our plan.

"_I _will ask the questions Ms. Hart," Mr. Feeny answered in a stern and strict voice. "What are you two doing here after school hours? What happened?"

I got up from the floor slowly and Riley followed suit. "It's complicated Mr. Feeny. We ran away from the orphanage. And if you want us to tell you why, it's not going to help us at all. You're gonna call the police now, right?" A look of dismay appeared on our six grade teacher's face.

"I cannot do anything until you tell me why you are injured girls. Did something happen at your orphanage? Is it not safe for you anymore?"

Surprisingly, the timid and scared Riley spoke up. "W-we ran away. They don't know we left though. We just need a place to stay and we didn't know where else to go."

"Are you aware the social workers can decide that both of you are unfit for the orphanage and send you farther away? Perhaps to another city?" Both Riley and I froze in realization. Now that we knew Nurse Millar was Crazy Hat Lady, we could not just leave without confronting her about it, and find out the reason why we were transported. I had a feeling she knew answers to our questions.

"They can't do that can they? Please Mr. Feeny, don't tell anybody you saw us here. We'll go back to the orphanage tomorrow, but don't make us go tonight. We'll pretend like none of this happened, but we need a place to stay just for tonight," I begged. Mr. Feeny being Mr. Feeny, I assumed wouldn't go for it and think we were just being like whiny little kids who didn't want to finish their vegetables, but he reluctantly agreed.

"Alright, I can let you stay at my house for the night but I'm taking you to the orphanage tomorrow to sort things out."

* * *

The keys jiggled as Mr. Feeny unlocked his door. It would be the first time Riley and I got to see the inside of Mr. Feeny's house. Little did we know it wasn't going to be our last.

The first thing I noticed when we stepped into the house were the massive amounts of green plants around the living room (I guess Mr. Feeny's garden didn't have enough space for all his plants). The walls, a dark green color. The brown couch and furniture blended in well with the wallpaper color. It all seemed so old and had a sense of elegance and class. I walked over to the brown grand piano Mr. Feeny had beside the couch and glided the tips of my fingers slightly over the surface of the shiny old instrument. I could see my reflection through the clear glass-like material. It was the first time I saw how horrible I really looked like. A green bruise was starting to appear on the left side of my forehead.

"I didn't know you played piano Mr. Feeny," I commented as I absent-mindlessly lifted the fall board which revealed the shiny white and black keys of the keyboard.

"It was my wife Lilian's-" he paused when he realized what he just said. There was no more that was said about the piano after that.

Mr. Feeny made us sit down on his large couch as he tended our wounds. To break the awkward silence, and because I was curious, I asked, "So have the Matthews ever come over?"

Mr. Feeny shook his head. "No, I seldom let anybody in here. I find it better that way, to reduce the rumors that tend to spread around the school about the way I live."

"Oh," Riley said. "I didn't realize you knew about them."

"Well," Mr. Feeny replied, shrugging his shoulders as he applied alcohol to the wound below my eye. I flinched a little as I felt the liquid burn through my skin. Mr. Feeny gently blew on the wound to alleviate the pain I felt. "It happens. I've been teaching for almost forty years and it never fazes me the things I hear from my students."

"But your house is really nice Mr. Feeny," Riley complimented as she looked around. "It would be nice to live in a place like this."

Mr. Feeny abruptly got up from kneeling down in front of the two of us and grabbed the first aid kit. "When you're ready to tell me what happened, we'll do something about finding you a place to live near the school." He walked away into (what I assumed was), the kitchen.

It was then I had a thought. It was crazy, I knew that. Mr. Feeny would never go for it. It wasn't like he ever had any children before...

* * *

I don't remember falling asleep, but I woke up the next morning next to Riley on the couch with a thick black blanket draped over our bodies. The sun shone brightly through the white curtains. It was no longer raining anymore.

It was a new day.

I carefully and cautiously got up from the warm couch and followed the smell of pancakes and waffles into the kitchen. Mr. Feeny held a pan of pancakes to the stove. I stood there, a little speechless.

"Good morning Miss Hart," he greeted when he turned around and found me standing by the doorway. "Are you hungry?"

I only nodded my head. Riley and I had skipped dinner yesterday (for obvious reasons) so the last time we had eaten was lunch the day before. I sat at the kitchen table as Mr. Feeny settled a plate of pancakes right in front of me.

"No syrup?" I asked. He shook his head. "What time is it? Don't we have school today?" I looked around the room for a clock.

"It's only 6:30 A.M Miss Hart. We'll drive to school at 8, alright?" I nodded understandingly.

Riley walked in minutes later and sat down to eat breakfast with us too. Mr. Feeny gave us time to wash up in his bathroom and then we got in his car and drove us to school.

* * *

"It is said that Columbus discovered America in 1492-" Mr. Feeny was interrupted by a knock on the door. A tall blonde woman in a black suit entered the classroom. Everybody turned to look at her. I recognized her as the social worker of the school.

"Yes Mrs. Vautor? Is there anything I can help you with?" Mr. Feeny asked, a look of worry shown in his face.

"It's been brought to my attention that there was a fight at the Needy Kids Orphanage. I'd like to speak to Riley and Maya outside for a minute. It's very urgent," she stated seriously. I tried to keep my emotions in tact, so that the others wouldn't notice what was really going on. _They're going to take us far away from the school. We're never going to see Cory, Mr. Feeny, or Shawn again and yet we would still be stuck in the past. No way to go back home._That was my biggest fear.

"What's going on Mr. Feeny?" Cory asked, looking back and forward from the scared expression on Riley's face, to the stern look the social worker obtained, to Mr. Feeny's worried look. I tried. I really tried to keep everybody from reading my feelings. But when I turned to see the look Shawn was giving me. A look of sadness and concern, I couldn't take it anymore.

I bolted from my seat and took off out of the classroom. I locked myself in the first room I could find. The girls' bathroom. Thankfully, I was alone. I leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor. I hugged my knees against my chest and rested my head on top of my knees. I let a small tear escape my eye. It was the only one I was able to let go. I still kept everything bottled up inside, even when I was alone.

"Why's the social worker asking about you Maya?" a boy's voice spoke so suddenly. I thought I had been alone. I lifted my head up and there standing, was none other than Shawn Hunter.

I wiped the tear from my face with my sleeve. "How'd you get in here Hunter?"

"I picked the lock. I'm a fugitive remember?" he smirked and sat beside me. The closer he got, the more I shifted myself away from him.

"You shouldn't be here. This is the _girls'_ bathroom."

Shawn scoffed. "When have I ever followed the rules?" He did have a point...

"So what happened yesterday? Why are you suddenly back at school?"

He looked down at his hands. "Cory convinced me to stop hiding. He convinced me to come back on his side of the line. I did. It was a stupid thing to let that cherry bomb go off."

"Yeah, it was," I agreed. "So your officially back on our side of the time?"

"Yep. I'm back."

I smiled. "I'm glad."

"Now back to you. What's wrong Maya?"

"It's none of your business!" I shouted, starting to get irritated.

"I like you, so it is my business. I'm involved now," he stated so plainly, as if it were that easy. "What happened to your eye? And your lip?" Shawn Hunter brushed his thumb gently against my busted up lip. He gulped. A tingling sensation grew in my stomach. It was _not_ from the pain. My heart began to beat rapidly. I tried to ignore it by pushing his hand away.

"I fell," I answered harshly.

Shawn didn't say anything for a minute. It looked as if he was busy thinking about something. "This doesn't have anything to do with Riley's grandparents, right?" he finally said.

"What?"

"Look, I understand if you have problems at home. Your life isn't perfect, and my definitely isn't. I live in a trailer park for god's sake! But you have to tell someone if they're beating you-" I quickly stood up.

"It's not like that." _Because they don't exist..._"Because..." It was almost impossible to look him in the eye. "I _don't_ live with Riley's grandparents. Riley Matthews doesn't have grandparents. That orphanage you went to, that's our home."

I could finally let out the breath of air I kept buried deep in my throat for a long time. At least that was what I hoped.

A look of shock appeared on Shawn's face. "So you lied to me? Why didn't you tell me?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. But that's besides the point. Riley and I got beaten and chased out of the orphanage last night and Mr. Feeny found us at school so he let us stay at his house for the night."

His jaw dropped. "You got to see the inside of a teacher's house. _Feeny's _house?" I nodded my head, slightly chuckling a little because I remembered that in a few years Shawn would run a Bed and Breakfast scam inside of Feeny's house.

"It's not as bad as it seems."

"So what's your story Hart? Your _real _story this time."

I looked up at the ceiling as I thought hard about the things I could say to him. I sighed. "I was born in New York. My dad left because he had another family. Um, my mom moved to California to pursue a career in acting. But there was this man who wanted to adopt me, and I ran away."

I was staring directly at the boy who in a two decades would want to adopt me.

"Why?"

"Because I thought he just felt sorry for me, and that he really didn't want me. I was wrong though. You'd like him if you met him." _Lots of irony in that statement..._

"What about Riley?"

"Um, well Riley's parents died in a car crash. We've known each other since kindergarten. We were moved together to Philadelphia to get away from everything in New York..." _Lies, lies, and more lies. _"Hope you're not mad at me for lying to you Hunter."

He shrugged his shoulders like it was no big deal. He stood up off the dirty floor and I pressed myself up against him in an awkward embrace. After minutes of him not letting go, I thought, _oh Jesus, what have I done?_

* * *

"No! You can't make us move! We're fine just here. _This _is where we belong!" a teary-eyed Riley shouted at the social worker outside of the classroom just as I came out of the girls' bathroom with Shawn standing next to me. There were two scary-looking tall men standing next to the woman. Most likely security or something. Mr. Feeny stood by the classroom door, arms crossed over his chest observing the entire scenario.

"Mr. Hunter, get inside right now," Mr. Feeny demanded. Shawn hurried quickly into the classroom, probably already sensing how serious this was going to get. I ran to wrap my arms around my best friend, who looked like she was going to have a break-down. She buried her face in my shoulder.

"Miss Matthews, what occurred yesterday was unacceptable. Although Martha Hill was expelled and taken away from the orphanage and to another city, we feel it is our duty to keep you girls safe. We expect you to have your bags packed by the end of today and we'll be taking you to a group home in Pittsburgh."

"A group home? What'd we do that was so bad?" I asked.

"Miss Hart, you fractured Miss Hill's nose-"

"We'll she deserved it! She was going to KILL US! It was self-defense," I argued back. Mrs. Vautor pushed up the bridge of her glasses in a snobby way.

"Let's go. Right. Now," she commanded harshly. The security guards started pushing us away from the classroom. I noticed Mr. Feeny still standing by the doorway.

"Mr. Feeny, please do something!" I begged helplessly as I bet my hands against a strong man's chest. _God, why was all this happening?_

It seemed like Mr. Feeny had just woken up from shock or a daze or or something, because he shouted, "Mrs. Vautor! I must ask, why must you do all this? The girls can still remain in this school." Mrs. Vautor stopped in her tracks and walked directly up to Mr. Feeny.

"George Feeny, if we haven't already tried contacting every single person who we think is suitable to foster these girls, we wouldn't be doing our job. Now unless you can suggest someone to take it upon themselves to raise these poor young girls, I strongly demand you let me do my job and go back into your classroom."

Whoa, that was the coldest thing I had heard any teacher say to another...

For some reason, I expected Mr. Feeny to back down and go back inside the classroom without another word. Boy was I wrong... Instead, he decided to say the most shocking and greatest thing I ever heard from him.

"As a matter of fact, I do know someone. Me."

I looked over at Riley to see her red teary eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. There really was hope for us after all...

* * *

Two weeks later, Riley and I moved into Feeny's house. It was official. He was now our foster parent. Our wounds only slightly healed over the duration of two weeks. It would take a few months for them to do so. We didn't have to go back to the orphanage, but instead the truck movers packed all of our stuff and drove it to Feeny's house. It was better that way.

"So..." Riley said excitedly as we unpacked our stuff in our new room. I looked around what once used to be Feeny's guest bedroom, was now our room. The walls were white, that would have to change once we got settled in. Instead of bunk beds, we got two separate beds this time. Plus a shared closet. "New world."

I smiled back. "Ours now?"

"Yeah, except it's not technically ours. It's my dad's."

"Miss Matthews! Miss Hart! The Matthews family is here to see you!" Mr. Feeny shouted from downstairs.

Riley and I raced downstairs and standing by the doorway was indeed, the Matthews family, including Shawn too.

"George, I think it's appropriate now for you to call us by our names," I smirked. "You know, now that we live together."

Mr. Feeny shook his head. "I am still your teacher Miss Hart, therefore, you are still Miss Hart, and I am still Mr. Feeny."

Mrs. Matthews extended her arms out, and in her hands she held a container of home-made cookies. "We just came by to see how you were doing and to give you these freshly baked home-made cookies." Mrs. Matthews smiled brightly.

Mr. Feeny reciprocated that smile and took the container from her hands. "As always, I thank you dearly Amy." Without hesitating, he extended his arm into the living room and asked, "Would you like to come in?"

"Well thank you George," Mr. Matthews said and the entire Matthews family stepped into the living room. Everybody sat down on the couch or on a cushioned chair. Eric, Morgan, Cory, Riley, Shawn, and I managed to fit on the large couch. I accidentally sat in between Riley and Shawn.

"I'd like to see your room later," Shawn whispered lowly in my ear. I turned around to face him and he winked at me!

I honestly couldn't take his constant flirting much longer. I wanted to get him back, so I rested my hand on his right knee, gave it a little squeeze, and answered flirtatiously, "Sure."

His jaw almost dropped to the floor. He turned beat red. I let go of his knee, and for the rest of the time the Matthews spend visiting, he couldn't even look me in the eye!

After the Matthews family left, it was almost time for dinner. Riley and I went back to unpacking our stuff and waited till Mr. Feeny called us down for dinner.

Honestly, I couldn't help but keep glancing at the piano in Mr. Feeny's living room as Riley and I made our way into the diner. He said it used to be his wife's. The only instrument I learned to play was the guitar, and that was because one of my subway buddies at home taught me.

As the three of us sat around the dining room table at dinner with Mr. Feeny talking a bit about his childhood in the war and sharing some of his wisdom to us about friendship and family, I realized then the family I had pictured and dream so much of having for what seemed like millions of years, was right in front of me.

* * *

**Author's Note: 1. Thanks guys for every review that you have left me. I think of them as tiny steps that help me improve and become better. I'd do anything for you guys, and I'm glad you've waited patiently for me to get ready and be capable of beginning to publish my story twice a week! This is my last week of school before the Christmas break and that's mainly the reason why I have decided to do this. But REMEMBER, it's only temporary. Beginning the second season, I have to go back to publishing every Saturday/Sunday simply because exams are coming up soon and I have to study. I will not be like Cory and Shawn in that episode (Life Lessons) when they procrastinate and spend their entire studying time watching movies. I found that really funny, but hopefully, that will not be me :) (Although it's happened before) 2. I got a review saying that the Tumblr links on my profile don't work on iPhones? I tested the links on my iPhone and it worked perfectly. For those of you who are having problems and have an account, can you please send me an PM telling me what's wrong? Thank you! 3. Keep those wonderful ideas coming! I actually write notes on my phone of what I plan to do for each season (most of them are about Shawn and Maya) and recently I got this great idea that I know you guys will like that will go on in season 3 between these two (secret love poem anybody?). Stick around for that! Almost forgot, the scene with Maya and Shawn in the girls' bathroom was suggested by LUCAYASHIPPER432. See ya on Sunday!**

**P.S- Don't forget to check out the link on my profile for the Q&amp;A from last chapter!**

**Quote of the week:**

"If you let people's perception of you dictate your behavior, you will never grow as a person." **-George Feeny**

**-Mimi1239**


	15. Birthday Boy

**School's out! And it's Sunday ****again! I know I'm a little late publishing this but I haven't been feeling well. I have a cold so I decided to rest instead of writing this chapter. I usually publish this at around 12 A.M on Sunday but I wanted to sleep but I already had half of the chapter completed. Sorry for the wait (it's not really a big wait since it is still Sunday) Thanks guys for the love and support. Wouldn't be publishing my 15th chapter if it wasn't for you guys. I've got some of the best reviews ever last chapter. 206 reviews in 14 chapters. It's all you guys. Congrats! I know some people are still hesitant about Shawn/Maya, but let me assure you, lots of plot twists like the ones in the last two chapter. Nothing will be like it looks like it will. Sorry for being so vague. But nothing gold can stay, am I right? (Robert Frost reference) Don't forget to vote for my second chapter of Home is the Hart of the Holidays when I publish it soon! Voting will occur from December 24th to 29th. I'd like to give a shout-out to those who reviewed my previous chapter: HK, GUEST, Guest, katiekins4799, mhernandez5, EstherNight, katiekins4799, mhernandez5, Guest, Alyssa, Pebblemist of LightClan, Stephanie, Guest, Ali6132, L.H, KaNugget, jenna323.m, Glee Clue Rock 1251, ultrablud2, OTHFAN26, LoveShipper, Nat-Marie, and lilLaine02.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

Riley's Point of View

_**Thursday, March 24th, 1994, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 1:30 P.M**_

Two weeks had past after Maya and I moved into Mr. Feeny's house. For the most part, things were going okay. Mr. Feeny gave us a curfew. We were to be at home by seven o'clock everyday (even on weekends). We were to wake up everyday at six o'clock and help him garden his plants. That was part of the many chores we had to do, in which we would get five measly bucks (as Maya put it) every week.

Maya had the most trouble adapting to these rules. Back home, Maya didn't have a curfew and only helped out around her apartment when it got really messy. She never even got an allowance! For me it was a little easier to follow all these rules because they were almost similar to the ones my parents had me follow. Except for the gardening part. That was the most difficult thing for me to do. Because I was so clumsy, I kept accidentally stepping on Mr. Feeny's flowers. He tried his best not to get angry with me, and so I was not surprised when he asked more of Maya's assistance than mine.

As for food, Mr. Feeny did all of the cooking, so Maya always complained about our lunches being too "healthy".

One day, during the last few minutes of class, Mr. Feeny handed each of us a permission form. "The following is a list of exciting extracurricular activities offered to you, the student, by your Philadelphia Board of Education. Each student shall select one exciting activity," he explained as Minkus passed on two permission forms to me and I passed one on to Maya who sat behind me, Mr. Feeny read off the list he had in his hand all of the activities we could join. "All right, Debate Team, Vocabulary Club, Scuba Club, Upholstery Squad..."

"Scuba Club?" perked up my dad. "I'm in."

"Geeh. That's a hard decision to make. I mean the Vocabulary Club and Debate Team just sound _so _exciting, it's going to take me _days_ for me to decide." Maya smirked. Dry sarcasm dripping from her voice evidently.

Mr. Feeny glared at Maya. "Don't get sarcastic with me Miss Hart. Now I want you all to take this seriously."

"Well, I for one plan to stimulate my intellect and will therefore choose between the Vocabulary Club and the Debate Team." Minkus smirked satisfactorily. He reminded me so much of Farkle in many ways.

Topanga smiled brightly. "I would enjoy communing with the creatures of the sea. I choose scuba."

"I choose scuba too!" Minkus announced eagerly.

"Scuba seems like a great way to miss class. I'm in too." Maya chimed in. I turned around in my seat and caught Shawn giving Maya his usual lovey-dovey stare. I rolled my eyes, annoyed by this issue. _Why wasn't Maya doing anything to stop this insanity? It's not like...she liked him back, right? ...RIGHT?_

"Scuba's great. I love bathing suits..." Shawn said and then when he realized everybody was staring weirdly at him, he asked, "What? Did I say something wrong?"

"All the time Mr. Hunter," replied Mr. Feeny.

"You joining us Riles?" Maya nudged me seemingly really excited about this all of the sudden.

I shrugged. "I guess."

* * *

The second the school let out that day, Maya and I went shopping for bathing suits with our allowance. In the end, we both bought a one piece each. Mine was dark pink with sunflowers all of it and Maya's was a simple baby blue color with no designs on it. We both walked outside of the mall and realized it was dark.

"Whoa, what time is it Riles?" Maya asked. I lifted up my arm to look at the watch on my wrist.

"Oh no! It's almost eight o'clock! We were supposed to be home an hour ago!" I panicked and grabbed Maya by the arm and dragged her all the way home. _I wonder what Mr. Feeny is going to do to punish us for being late? Ground us? Detention?_

It took us ten minutes running as fast as we could with our small shopping bags to arrive at home exactly at eight o'clock. _Dang_. We tried our hardest to close the door lightly and sneak upstairs without making any sound. Our plan failed miserably because from the couch, Mr. Feeny asked, "Going somewhere?"

_Busted._

Apology words began to fly out of my mouth. "We're sorry Mr. Feeny! We were just so caught up with the shopping because we don't do it very often and we needed the bathing suits for scuba diving tomorrow!"

"Yeah. Mr. Feeny we're not used to all these rules. The orphanage never gave us a curfew."

Mr. Feeny wrapped his arms around his chest and sternly said, "I'm not the orphanage Miss Hart. I took you both in because I thought it would do well for you to live in a safe and secure environment. If you abide by my rules, we won't have any problems now, shall we?"

I nodded my head, but Maya only stomped upstairs in anger.

* * *

When Maya and I entered the school's cafeteria wrapped in our towels the next day, I couldn't help but for the first time be excited that we were going scuba diving. I mean, I was never really good with anything that had to do with water, although I was a decent swimmer. Maya knew the way I felt with being in a bathing suit while all of the boys (especially Lucas) stared at me back home. It made me feel real insecure when that would happen. Therefore, I avoided the swimming pool as much as possible. Now that Maya sort of made me choose scuba diving, I didn't know why I felt enthusiastic.

While Cory and Shawn were goofing off with the equipment, I remembered that today was my dad's birthday. He was supposed to be turning twelve. I walked up to Cory and Shawn as Maya stayed close behind, gripping the towel wrapped around me tightly so that it wouldn't fall off.

"Happy birthday Cory." I smiled cheeky.

Cory and Shawn stopped what they were doing and turned to look at me.

"Uh, how did you know it was my birthday today Riley?" my dad asked me. _Great, why did I have to open my big mouth? Now he probably thought I was being stalker-ish._

So instead of telling the truth because that was only going to get me into more trouble, I decided to say the first thing that came into my mind.

"You told me, didn't you? I remember you mentioned your birthday once to me...right Maya?" I asked turning my head, seeking for Maya's salvation.

Maya nodded. "Yeah Cor, don't you remember? You even said not to make a big deal about it or something...let's move on now," Maya said trying to change the awkward subject.

Cory still had a puzzled look on his face but he shrugged it off. "Yeah, okay. You know, I was meant for this underwater life because I am...Scuba Boy!" Cory said taking off his robe and put his hands on his hips like Superman would.

Shawn snickered.

"What?" asked Cory.

"Man, Cory, you're the whitest white boy I have ever seen."

Cory's smirk fell off his face. "Oh, yeah? Let's see what you got," he challenged Shawn.

"Think I'm afraid to take my shirt off?" asked Shawn confidently.

"That's what I'm thinking," responded Cory.

"I got nothing to hide."

"I'm thinking that, too." And just what when I thought this back and forth thing between my dad and his best friend would never end, Maya stepped up to the plate.

"Just DO IT Hunter. We're all going to have to eventually," Maya said, annoyed by the long wait.

Shawn only smirked. "Eager now are we?" he asked and yet he still didn't make any motion to remove his shirt.

Maya scoffed. "Dream on. Why do you still have your shirt on then if you aren't scared to take it off?" she asked, a little smirk of her own appeared on her face.

"Well, because otherwise I look like him," Shawn responded taking off his shirt to reveal that he was in fact, whiter than Cory. "But enough about me, it's your turn ladies."

I gave Maya a terrified look. She knew how much I hated boys staring at me while I was in my bathing suit. But this was different now. This was my dad and my Uncle Shawn. This was much worse.

Maya always being the gusty and confident one, unwrapped her towel and settled it on one of the tables. Seconds later, I did the same. Thankfully, nobody was really looking at me, but I was starting to get worried about Maya, with Shawn drooling over her and all.

Since Maya never got a haircut since we got here, her blonde hair was down to her elbows. She looked like a little blonde mermaid. Naturally beautiful despite her rough edges, and she was only getting prettier everyday. I tried not to envy her, because she was my best friend. But then now, I sort of wished someone would look at me the way Shawn was looking at Maya (no matter how creepy that sounded). The way Lucas was looking at me when I had the makeup on. But without the makeup.

"You got a little something...there Shawn," I said motioning for him to wipe off the saliva that was embarrassingly dripping out of his mouth. He wiped his mouth with his naked arm and turned red a little.

"Hey, she's just a girl in a bathing suit. Insult her," Cory demanded, not at all liking where this was going too.

Topanga walked up to us wearing a pink robe. "It's not very evolved to ridicule the human form. Each of our bodies is the master creation of Mother Nature," she stated and then took off her robe to reveal a pink bathing suit similar to mine. Cory and Shawn just stared at her body in awe. Now my dad was the one drooling! "What's the matter? No funny remarks?"

"Uh, you got anything?" a nervous Cory asked Shawn.

"I got nothing."

"Uh, you got anything?" he asked Maya and me.

"Snap out of it!" Shawn said, hitting Cory in the arm. "She's just a girl in a bathing suit. Insult her."

"No. From now on, I'm gonna be insulting you," replied Cory to Shawn.

"Hey, what's with the necklace?" Maya asked Cory just noticing there were small silver mittens dangling from Cory's neck.

"Oh, my dad gave it to me." Cory shrugged, not really caring about the gift. "It's one of those really important father-son gifts that you don't understand what it is."

After Cory and Shawn ridiculed Minkus for walking around looking like a stick of Juicy Fruit, Mr. Feeny came into the cafeteria. He was apparently the dive master, much to Cory and Shawn's dismay.

"I'm a certified dive master and have been for years," Mr. Feeny explained. "Now, the first rule of diving is never dive alone. Therefore, I would like each of you to select a partner to be your diving buddy."

Minkus quickly paired up with Topanga. Just when I was about to ask Maya to be my buddy, Shawn quickly ran up to Maya.

"Buddy?" he smiled widely.

"Sorry Hunter. Riles already asked me," she lied locking her arm in mine. I smiled in relief.

* * *

Our diving time ended up being better than I expected it to be (except for the part about having to share our regulators with our partners). The school's swimming pool was where we did all of our diving. At least it wasn't in a big tank filled of sharks or something.

Maya and I went home to wash up. We went over to Cory's house to see what he was doing at around six o'clock. We bumped into Shawn as he was running out of the Matthews' kitchen.

"Hunter, what's wrong?" Maya asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"No, not a ghost. It's just that Cory's missing and Eric is just about to be killed for this and I didn't want to get in the way. You know, family stuff."

My dad told me the story of the silver gloves a million times. So how could I forget it while it was actually happening right in front of my eyes?

"He's at the school. He lost the silver gloves his dad gave him and he's trying to look for them at the swimming pool," I explained.

"Lets go help him them," Maya said and Shawn agreed. I grabbed Maya's arm before she could leave.

"Wait, it's almost seven o'clock. We'll get in trouble if we miss curfew again!"

"Alright, you can stay here and explain to Feeny why I'm late while Shawn and I go help Cory." Then they both left.

* * *

Mr. Feeny came home at exactly seven o'clock from buying groceries. "Where's Miss Hart?" he asked as I helped him carry the grocery bags into the kitchen.

"Uh, she went out with Shawn- not on a date or anything! I mean..." I couldn't come up with a good enough excuse without getting Maya in trouble.

"Miss Matthews, I understand you are trying to protect Miss Hart, but the truth will always set you free."

Yep, Mr. Feeny was a fortune cookie.

"Okay, so Maya and Shawn went to school to help Cory search for his father's silver gloves in the swimming pool." I closed my eyes expecting him to start yelling or something but he grabbed his car keys and without a single word, he walked out the door...

* * *

An hour and a half later, Maya and Mr. Feeny came home.

"Mr. Feeny, we were only trying to help. You said it yourself, never dive without a buddy," Maya said taking off her sweater and hung it up.

"I know what you tried to do was good, but you should have told an adult Miss Hart. Thankfully, you are all alright and I managed to find the silver gloves in the filter."

"Does that mean we're not grounded Mr. Feeny?" I smiled sheepishly, hoping we weren't.

Mr. Feeny shook his head. "No, that means you are grounded for one day. I'll see you girls at my garden 6:00 A.M sharp." Then Mr. Feeny disappeared upstairs.

Maya's jaw dropped open. "Great, more gardening torture by the master himself."

I smiled at my best friend. "This is only the beginning Maya."

We went upstairs to get ready for bed. I couldn't stop thinking about the photo album that Martha stole from us. Could that all be what she needed to prove that we were from the future? I was worried about that. Maybe not, because the concept alone was just crazy. Although we no longer had the photo album, I felt we were doing just fine without it...hopefully.

* * *

**Author's Note: Something life changing will happen to Maya in the next chapter. Since season 1 is coming to an end very soon (only four more chapters left after this one), I thought it would be really cool if for those of you who are new to my story to review my previous chapters, preferably the first few ones. My goal is to reach 300 reviews by the end of the 19th chapter (end of season 1). Do you think that's doable? I don't usually ask much from you guys but it would be really cool if you did this for me. It could be your Christmas present to me :) I'll have a "Did You Know?" segment on the 19th chapter. I'll reveal some trivia to you guys about some of the characters such some background stories of their names (like Nurse Millar). It's actually not that fascinating but I'll do it anyway lol! When I published the last chapter in the middle of the week, as I was going to sleep because I was exhausted from writing, an idea popped into my head about another story that I could write. Sorry but it won't be in this fandom. Do any of you guys know the movie Stand By Me****? It's a great movie for those of you who have never watched it. Anyway, the next story that I will be working on will be about a tomboy discovering that her stepfather is a murderer and runs away from him and finds herself in Castle Rock where she must hide her identity and because everybody thinks she is a boy, she pretends to be one. Then she meets the gang. Tell me what you think about the idea! It's actually been in my head for two years now but I had my own characters for the story. I just didn't know which fandom I should publish this and now I do :)**

**See ya on Wednesday guys!**

**P.S- Don't forget to check out the link on my profile for the Q&amp;A from last chapter!**

**Quote of the week:**

"Minkus reproduced?" **-Shawn Hunter**

**-Mimi1239**


	16. First Time for Everything

**Wednesday again! Early update again! On top of that it's Christmas Eve! 230 reviews is exactly the amount I wanted before publishing this chapter! (Mind readers) Last chapter I said that Maya's life would change in this chapter and it will. Probably not the way you expect it to be. Honestly, I did not expect this chapter to turn out as long and complicated as it did, but it did! I even included a character from the later seasons, but still tell me what you think! Thank you to those who are understanding and are wishing me to get better. I feel like one of the things that's helping me recover quickly is each and every one of your supporting and loving reviews. Getting sick on Christmas was not on my wish list for sure. One of you guys send me a funny review about Maya's life changing experience. Yes, she's growing up and all. That's what's life changing and you will find out once I stop this note. Keep up those funny review guys! :) I'd like to give a shout-out to those of you who reviewed my previous chapter: hml1999, stephanieeeee, Georgiaarms101, natosha russo, Kingofclubs8129, jenna323.m, DisneyLover16, L.H, OTHFAN26, sibunalover4934. Guest, GamerGirlGuest, alyssaunicorn, lilLaine02, SilverSeaweedBrains, lovinxoxo, Ali6132, HK, Pebblemist of LightClan, Twinkletoes626, Glee Clue Rock 1251, Stephanie, LoveShipper, and AliciaMae26.**

**You guys rock!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

Maya's Point of View

_**Thursday, May 5th, 1994, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 8:17 A.M**_

There were certain things you learned on your own that didn't really need much explaining. There were certain things you needed to ask an adult for help because you were so clueless as to what you were doing. There were millions of philosophical and intellectual questions you could ask a wise man like Mr. Feeny, and he would no doubt give you the correct answer. But how could I, a twelve year old girl, ask him, my foster parent (and don't forget teacher), about getting my first period?

_Yes. I, Maya Hart, was officially a woman now. Wohoo. We can celebrate later._

It occurred today when I woke up this morning and I felt something weird _down there_ if you know what I mean. Soon after I entered the bathroom, I realized I was menstruating. It was horrifying.

My mom never really gave me any talk about sex or anything that I probably should have needed to know. She was always so busy. It was like she didn't have time for me. I didn't really care about "the talk" much before, but now I desperately needed someone to tell me what I needed to do.

I stuck some toilet paper in my underwear and tiptoed out of the bathroom. Riley was frantically getting dressed for school in our bedroom.

"Maya! School starts at 8:30! We're going to be late if we don't leave _right now_!" Riles walked out and shut the door behind her. I was just about to tell her that I was a woman now, and she was worried about being late to school? Ugh! Punctual people.

Mr. Feeny probably left as well, because when I went downstairs, the house was quiet. It felt empty. I walked over to the grand piano and lifted up the fall board. I ran my hands through all of the shiny keys. The piano looked new, but it was probably even older than my mom. It was well-kept, that was what I meant. I wondered how many times Mr. Feeny's wife played the piano. It must have meant something special to her if Mr. Feeny kept it after all of the years since she passed away. I didn't know much about pianos or other instruments except for the guitar. But my eyes were just so fixated on the instrument that seemed to have a lot of history between Mr. Feeny and his wife.

I closed the fall board, grabbed my sweater and left the house through the back door. Instead of going to school, first, I wanted to pay someone a little visit.

I knocked on the Matthews' kitchen door. Luckily, Mrs. Matthews was the one who answered it, for it was her the person I needed to talk to.

"Maya, hi. It's such a surprise to see you here. Um, Cory already left for school honey," she explained pointing her thumb over her shoulder.

"May I come in Mrs. Matthews?"

"Sure," she responded and I went to take a seat in the kitchen table. Luckily nobody else was there. The things I was about to ask her were embarrassing enough as they were. Mrs. Matthews closed the door and sat beside me. "Aren't you going to be late to school Maya?"

"Yeah I know. It's just I needed to talk to someone about this. I know Mr. Feeny's a teacher and all and he knows just about everything there is to know about everything in the whole universe-" I was rambling on too much. I needed to get to the point. "But he can't really help me with this problem I have. You see, I have a _woman_ issue."

"Oh," Mrs. Matthews said, and I assumed she understood what I meant even though we were sort of talking in code. "You want to talk about this, woman-to-woman?"

"Yes."

Mrs. Matthews put her hand on her chest. "Oh, wow. I'm sorry if I seem a little shock by this Maya. It's just that I've never had anybody come and talk to me about their periods. I have two teenage boys and Morgan is only five-"

"That's okay, Mrs. Matthews. I can be like your practice daughter for when Morgan gets her first period." _Why did she have to be more nervous than me? I was the one transforming!_

"Alright," Mrs. Matthews said, letting out a deep breath out. "Let's try this again. Have you told anybody yet?"

I shook my head. "Only you."

"How long have you had your period?"

"I just found out today when I woke up."

"Now the most important question: do you feel okay Maya? Any stomach cramps or pain?"

I thought about it for a moment. "No. Is it going to be bad?" I asked worriedly.

Mrs. Matthews lightly chuckled. "It's alright Maya. You can come to me or even to your school nurse if you have any stomach pains. Are you wearing a pad right now?"

I shook my head once again. "I doubt Mr. Feeny keeps pads."

Mrs. Matthews hurried upstairs and a few minutes later came down holding a small squared package. She handed them over to me. I looked down at the box in question.

"I keep these for when Morgan will start her period. I've sort of been waiting for this for a long time. No mother wants her little girl to grow up, but it's better to be safe than sorry." I nodded thankfully and walked out the kitchen door. "Maya," Mrs. Matthews called back.

"Yes?"

"Do you want to tell Mr. Feeny or should I?"

I groaned. "Do we have to?"

"Of course Maya. It's very important for him to know this as your teacher in case you need to use the washroom in the middle of class." _Wow, were things really this complicated?_

* * *

I reluctantly agreed to let Mrs. Matthews tell Mr. Feeny, but I told her to wait until after school so that I could at least get one more day of him not treating me differently. After I changed and was advised by Mrs. Matthews herself to secretly bring some pads to school and change in the washroom just in case I needed to. I walked into the Jefferson Elementary school building and walked down the halls. I made a left turn before I was about to barge into the classroom, I noticed the lights were off through the door window and peeked inside to see the everybody watching a documentary on a TV.

There were tiny captions at the bottom of the screen and I could catch some words such as hormones, telegrams, roller coaster, and puberty. _Great, just what I need. To walk into the classroom two hours late interrupting a documentary about puberty while I am beginning to have changes myself._

I waited outside for a bit until the class finished watching the documentary and when the lights turned on inside, it was my cue to barge in. Just as I opened the door and walked in, Shawn dropped his pencil and he bend down in his seat to pick it up. Another girl who was wearing a white top with a yellow vest over it, a girl who I had never seen before (and was sitting in MY seat by the way) also bend down to pick up the pencil. Shawn lifted his eyes to look at her and immediately pulled his hand away as if she was burning it or something. She smiled at him and gave him his pencil. He sat there, frozen-like.

And no matter how many countless times Cory kept calling his name, Shawn Hunter would not stop staring at this girl.

"What's going on? Have I been replaced or something?" I asked only slightly joking. Everybody turned to look at me, except for Shawn, who still had his eyes glued to the girl in my seat!

"Miss Hart, glad for you to be joining us today. No, you have not been replaced. We do not have an extra desk for the new girl Miss Hilary Flores and since you were the only one absent today, we thought you wouldn't mind lending her your desk just for today."

"I'm sorry. I understand if you want your seat back. I can move if you want-" Hilary immediately apologized and was getting up from my chair and grabbed her backpack to move.

It seemed like Shawn was just waking up from a daze because his hand flew to the girl's forearm. "No stay!" Shawn shouted as if his life depended on this girl he just met to stay sitting beside him. When Shawn realized he had said it so over dramatically and so loud, he nervously said, "Uh, because Maya doesn't like to be rude. She can find another seat no problem. She's real good at adapting."

"Are you sure?" Hilary asked staring up at me innocently. I folded my arms over my chest and thought for a minute.

I sighed and gave up. "Yeah I'm sure," I grumbled walking to the front of the classroom to Mr. Feeny. "So, Mr. Feeny. Where do I sit?"

Mr. Feeny looked around the classroom, obviously there was going to be a big issue here.

"Um, can you squeeze into a seat with someone? I apologize Miss Hart but there is nothing else I can do for now."

I saw Riley move to the edge of her chair and she tapped the other edge of her chair indicating that I could squeeze in next to her. _Aw, now what were best friends for? _I squeezed in next to her.

"How you doing?" she asked cheerfully.

If I actually had to tell her how I was doing, it would take all day. So I just answered back with the same answer she gave me when we were in that Romeo and Juliet play and Farkle was just about to kiss both of us. "I just don't understand how we end up in situations like this."

I turned around in my seat to see Shawn was still giving the new girl that lovey-dovey look he usually gave me. And she sort of acted like she was ignoring him a bit by not looking at him and pretending she was paying attention to everything Mr. Feeny was saying. Yep, I really was replaced.

_This must end._

* * *

It seemed as if Shawn was struck by a different cupid's arrow. One that made him lunatic over a girl he just met. _Was it just me, or was I starting to sound jealous? No, no. That wasn't possible. People are only jealous when someone has something that they don't have. What did this new girl have that I didn't? What did she take away from me? Okay, don't answer that._

At lunch, all Shawn could do was giggle and smile like a little school girl who just got a pony (I don't know, maybe that was a bad example, but you get the point right?).

As the four of us were getting drinks from the vending machine, Shawn asked Cory, "Tell me something. How do you ask a girl out?"

Cory shrugged his shoulders. "Simple. You open the door and say, 'Get out, you're bothering me'."

"No, I mean, like on a date."

I raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Are you going to ask out Hilary?" Riley asked.

Shawn looked down at his feet, embarrassed. "Yeah, I think I'm going to. Maybe you girls can give me some pointers, since you're girls and all."

I shook my head. "No, I'm busy all week. Feeny wants me to do more homework. Busy me," I lied, awkwardly chuckling.

Minkus came up to us right then and after giving Shawn an issues of 'Perky' magazine, I could see Hilary about to enter the cafeteria. I settled my tray of food on the table and bolted up to her.

"Hey, can I talk to you outside for a minute?"

"Sure!" she answered cheerfully.

After we made our way outside the cafeteria so that the gang, especially Shawn wouldn't hear or see us, I asked her, "So, do you like the school so far? Made any friends yet?"

"Well, I think Shawn likes me. He hasn't stopped staring at me since I got here. And I mean, who can blame him really." She tossed her long straight brown hair over her shoulder in a snobbish conceited way.

Instead of saying anything rude or insulting, I simply flashed a fake smile and responded, "Well, Shawn's a really friendly guy. I mean, he's been after me since the beginning of the year when I first came here. He likes to follow me around sometimes, so get used to it if he starts to do the same with you."

She smiled mischievously. "Ooh, well I do like players. Are you guys an item or something?"

I scoffed and laughed lightly. "Me and Shawn? No, of course not! He's free as a bird. He just likes to move on from girl to girl."

Hilary looked over my shoulder inside of the cafeteria to glance at Shawn. "Ooh, that's good then. He's available. I'm going to ask him out right now to go to the movies today." She stepped to one side and tried to get around me but I stepped in front of her again.

"Trust me, you don't want to do that. He has attachment issues. If it ends up not working out, he'll be crushed. He'll move on to another girl alright, but he won't leave you alone for the rest of your life. See these scars?" I asked, showing the scar I still had from Martha on my upper check and lip. "He did that."

It was all a lie. I wanted to scare her so that she wouldn't come near Shawn. But why did I want to do that? Finally he would stop leaving me alone for god's sake! But maybe that was exactly what I _didn't_ want to happen.

She shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal. "It's alright Maya. I can take care of myself. Thanks anyway. Do I look alright though?" she asked smoothing her hair. I furrowed my eyebrows as I got closer to her face trying to find something wrong with her. There was nothing wrong with her. So I had to pretend like there was.

I shook my head disapprovingly. "You've got too much mascara and eyeliner on one eye. You look like a raccoon with one eye."

She stared horrified at me. "But I'm not wearing any mascara or eyeliner."

"Well then now you have a real problem," I said crossing my arms over my chest smirking evilly as she ran frantically screaming to the girls' washroom. I just watched her go in pure amusement, and then headed back into the cafeteria to sit with my friends.

I knew it was a cruddy thing what I just did to the new girl. I was probably going to have bad karma later on. Why did I do it again? I didn't know, perhaps because Hilary reminded me of Missy Bradford and I didn't want her taking Shawn away from us the way Missy almost took Lucas? That had to be it. Or perhaps because I was 'at that time of the month'. I wondered what I would do the next time I got my period? Steal candy from a baby? Push someone in front of a bus?

I thought all my worries were over and that I really did get rid of Hilary for good but then I saw her walking into the cafeteria confidently and smiling. Now she was actually wearing mascara and she looked even prettier than she did before! _Dang it._

"Shawn!" I said grabbing his arm, trying to stop him from locking eyes with Hilary. "I want to ask you something. Will-you-go-out-with-me-today?" I blurted out.

_Whoa, where did that come from?_

Riley began to cough up a lung with the water she was drinking as she heard me ask the forbidden question to Shawn, much like she did when she discovered her mother had a crush on her dad's brother.

"Are you serious? You're asking me out?!" Shawn said excitedly about ready to jump for joy.

"You're asking him out?" Riley and Cory also asked simultaneously, unable to believe what I had just done. I couldn't believe it either.

I was about to say that I was joking, but Hilary kept getting closer and closer to our table and I realized she was about to do the same thing and take Shawn away from me. I mean _us_. "Yes I am." I responded, making sure Hilary heard it. Riley glared daggers at me.

I expected Hilary to walk up to our table and ask in her sweet voice, "Hi Shawn. Would you like to go to the movies with me?" But that didn't happen. So I was shocked when she walked right past by us and walked right up to another boy and asked him out!

_Great, I asked out Hunter for no reason. Now he probably thinks I like him._

* * *

After school, as we were by our lockers, Riley gave me one of her crazy lectures about how I was changing "the future" and if I did anything else to sabotage everything, there was no way we would get home without everything being different.

"Look Riles. Everything is under control. We're just going to the movies. It's not even a date and I'll straighten that out with him when we get to the movies," I reassured her.

Riley grabbed my arm before I could leave. "Wait, what are you going to see?"

"Does it matter? Whatever's on."

"Then what's the point of going? Why'd you ask him out?"

I put on a serious face as I tried to explain. "Remember Missy and how she tried to steal Lucas from us? And how you had this feeling inside of you telling you you didn't want Lucas to be alone with Missy? Well, I think I have that feeling too."

"About who? Hilary? But she's so sweet! She told me she liked my dress!" Riley said spinning around in her dress happily.

"She's majorly twisted, I know she is. Besides, we don't want Shawn and Cory to drift apart right? That's only going to happen if Shawn starts dating."

"But, you're dating him."

"No Riles. It's not a date." I insisted, slamming my locker shut and so did Riley.

Riley picked up her backpack and flung it over her shoulder. "Whatever you say. If you need anything, I'll be at Cory's house working on a lab report for Chemistry."

* * *

I met up with Shawn at his locker and caught him reading the perky magazine Minkus gave him.

"Really Hunter? Perky magazine?" I smirked in amusement.

"Hey, it must work. You asked me out, didn't you?" He smirked back.

"Yeah, about that. Listen, this is _not _a date. Alright? We've got to make that clear before we go out." Yeah, that just sounded like we weren't just about to go on a date.

"Alright fine. At least that means I don't have to pay for everything."

"We'll split it."

"Yeah," I began.

"Yeah," he challenged back. _Really, was this where things were heading?_

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

"Okay," I gave up. And that was the end of that...

* * *

Shawn and I agreed to sneak into a random movie. We split the popcorn, malt balls and drinks fifty-fifty like we promised we would. As we snuck into the big dark theater room where we were going to watch the movie, we realized there were only about ten people in total there for the movie!

"I guess the movie's not making a lot of money. You don't mind, right? I mean it's free."

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I mean who doesn't love free stuff?"

We sat at the top part of the theater and started to eat the popcorn since the movie hadn't started yet and there were playing trailers of other movies. Once our hands touched as we both reached in at the same time for the popcorn, Shawn blushed. It reminded me of something that would happen in a movie.

"You go ahead," he told me.

"No Hunter. You go."

"No, you reached in first."

"But I insist-"

Loud ssh's could be heard all around the theater room. The movie hadn't even started yet and already the ten people were asking us to ssh!

I rolled my eyes and reluctantly agreed to take some popcorn first. A young couple below us caught both our attention. They were probably in their early twenties. The man had his arm around the woman and as he whispered stuff into her ear, she couldn't stop giggling.

Shawn locked eyes with me after we observed the happy couple. I looked away and crossed my arms over my chest as I felt him lean into my shoulder and whispered in my ear, "D-do you want me to put my arm around you?" His breath tickled my skin.

I raised an eyebrow and scoffed. "I think you're the first boy in the history of dating who's ever asked a girl for permission to put his arm around her."

"Sorry! This is my first date. Do I seem nervous?" he asked whipping a bit of sweat from his forehead.

"Completely, but this is not a date remember? You promised you wouldn't call this a date."

"Right."

An idea popped into my head. "Hey, let's kill time by throwing malt balls at people. I want to aim at that happy couple first." I ripped open the candy package and took out a malt ball and put it in my mouth. After I wet it with my tongue, I took it out of my mouth and aimed the malt ball at the woman's head. It stuck on her hair and because she was so concentrated on the things the man was whispering in her ear, she didn't even notice!

Shawn smiled impressed by my mischievousness. "Nice job. Didn't think it was possible to stick it in people's hair. I do this with Cory all the time. This is the first time I've done it with a girl."

"Well, you can learn a lot from me Hunter."

Another couple came into the theater. It was dark so I couldn't quite see what they looked like until they started climbing up the stairs. _Oh no. You've got to be kidding me._

"Hi Maya and Shawn," Hilary waved to us as she led a boy up the stairs holding his hand and sat right next to us! I recognized him as the boy who Hilary asked out instead of Shawn! "This is Gary Brock. He's from the other six grade classroom."

Gary had light brown hair and hazel eyes. He was really thin but really tall and it seemed like he was born with the cocky grin plastered on his face.

"Hi Hilary," Shawn said, a bit dazed by her sudden appearance.

"Hi Shawn," she greeted back and I caught her discreetly winking at him. Gary didn't seem to notice.

"Hi," Gary said to me. "You must be Maya. I've seen you around school."

I faked a smile. "Really? Haven't really seen you before," I answered back as innocently as I could.

"I didn't think you guys liked foreign films," Hilary asked as Gary wrapped his arm around her.

"Why would you think that?" I asked. _I hate foreign films. I liked to watch a movie, not read one._

"Because this is a foreign film? It's in French. See?" Hilary said pointing at the screen just as the movie began. _Great, now I have to sit through a two hour movie with a boy who wasn't my date, a girl who probably hated my guts (although she didn't show it) because I stole her date, and Gary, the kid I have never seen before today._

I yawned five minutes into the movie. Okay, so let me try to break it down for you. The movie was about this French girl who was getting married to a French dude, but then she realized she actually loved his brother who was marrying her sister!_ What kind of movie is this?_

At the part where the French girl says something in French to the dude she was secretly in love with as they stared lost in each other's eyes, the French guy takes her into his arms and french-kisses her passionately. My eyes fell to the young couple in front of us right then who were ALSO french-kissing.

I looked over, about to say something to Hilary when I saw she was also wrapped up in her own love-fest kissing Gary!

From the corner of my eye, I could tell Shawn was staring at me, probably thinking we should do the same. I hoped to God not.

_Lord kill me now._

* * *

**Author's Note: Remember Gary? ...Think about that for a minute and get back to me on that, okay? :P**

**Just want to note before I begin my rambling that after the end of every season, I will have a special segment called "Did You Know?" (as I have already mentioned before) and at the end of every segment, I will give a special shout out which I call the Loyalest Reviewer award-ish to the people who have reviewed every single chapter so far. I went back and checked carefully to see who can win so far, and so far there is NOBODY yet. Some people have missed just ONE chapter to review and I really want to give out that shout-out (not to mention reach 300 reviews by the end of the season) but I can't do it if nobody has reviewed every single chapter. I advise you if you want to be included in this shout-out to go back and find out which chapters you are missing. Thank you :)**

**I wish you guys a happy and safe Christmas. Don't get too crazy, alright? ;P Maya's life-changing experience was her getting her first period. Sorry if I scared you guys, but this is typically what every girl goes through at that age. Next chapter will be on Riley's POV of this situation, and how she will handle getting her parents to go on their first date. Fun! Girl Meets Game Night airs on January 9th for those of you who don't know. Next chapter will be on Sunday, and then the second last chapter will be published on the last day of 2014. Crazy right? I can't BELIEVE this year is almost OVER! I still remember last year's new year like if it were yesterday. Don't you guys feel the same way? Anyway, review and I'm going to give you guys some advice that my music teacher tells my class every year. Don't eat yellow snow! Lol! Yep, my music teacher is like my Mr. Feeny :) okay see you on Sunday!**

**Merry Christmas guys! :)**

**P.S- Don't forget to check out the link on my profile for the Q&amp;A from last chapter! It's a special one just for you guys :)**

**Quote of the week:**

"But it's the time of year that you can think back and appreciate the real gifts you received. Friendship, for example, is a real gift. And it's given with no exception and no gratitude is necessary. Not between real friends." **-George Feeny**

**-Mimi1239**


	17. The Dating Story

**Sunday update! I have posted the first chapter of my new story from the Stand By Me archive, If I Were A Boy. If you love the movie, it would be an honor if you guys checked out that story. I know some of you already have and I was surprised by that. It will have multiple chapters like this one does. Okay, so you guys are awesome as I always tell you. There are two chapters left after this one in season 1. Can you believe that? Time flew by so quickly! I'm only 30 reviews away from reaching my goal of 300 reviews before the end of season 1. I cannot believe I'm at 270 so quickly! :) Also, so far there is only one person who has reviewed every chapter and will be given that special shout-out at the end of chapter 19. I would like there to be more people in this shout-out though, so keep those reviews coming! :) I'd like to give a shout-out to those who reviewed my previous chapter: Jules, Georgiaarms101, Jenna Yu, Hk, Girlmeetsworld1876, PrincessOfLeFandoms, midnight-rose.33, Nat-Marie, KaNugget, Ali6132, hml1999, 446, SilverSeaweedBrains, stephanieeeee, Pebble of LightClan, sibunalover4934, HK, Waffleslover98, Guest, Guest, stephanie, lilLaine02, Kingofclub8129, jenna323.m, DisneyLover16, Glee Clue Rock 1251, and LoveShipper.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

Riley's Point of View

_**Thursday, May 5th, 1994, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 6:20 P.M**_

I waited anxiously for Maya to come home from her "date" with Shawn. It would be the first time any of us would talk about how their "date" went to other since none of us had never been on a date prior to this. I knew Maya hated for me to consider this as a date, but there was nothing else for me to call it.

"So," I sang-song once Maya came into our room with a frown on her face. "How'd it go? How'd it go? How'd it go?"

"It was the worst thing I have ever experienced in my life. First of all, Hilary was there with a date and she decided to sit next to us, of all places!" Maya threw her hands in the air as she slumped on her bed and rested her head on her pillow.

"What movie did you guys see?" I asked.

Maya scoffed bitterly. "Like we watched the movie." My jaw dropped to the floor, already thinking the worst.

I cried, "Maya, no! Don't tell me you-"

Maya nodded her head, cutting me off. "Yes Riles. After five minutes of the two leads french-kissing, I dragged Shawn with me out of the theater. I mean it was disgusting! Everybody in the theater was doing it except for Shawn and me. Even Hilary and her date!"

I clutched a hand on my chest over dramatically. "Gosh Maya! You've got me so worked up now. What did you guys do after you left? What did Hilary say?"

Maya burst out in laughter. "Hilary didn't even know we left. She was so concentrated on sucking her date's tongue we didn't care to say goodbye. But um, after we left, Shawn took me back to his place and his mom invited me for dinner so I've already eaten."

"Ooh, guess it wasn't a bad date after all," I teased nudging Maya with my elbow on her side playfully.

"For the last time, it wasn't a date."

* * *

The next morning, I decided to go with my long purple dress to school. At the time, I thought it would have no significance as to what happened at school that day, but now that I'm looking back at things, it did. It did indeed.

At lunch, as I was entering the cafeteria to sit at an empty table because apparently none of my friends were there yet, I was stopped by my dad walking up to me, looking me up and down and going, "Dress!"

"Hi Cory, what's up?" I greeted.

"Well I was thinking you'd like to come to my house after school?" _It seems like a harmless proposition, right?_

"What about Shawn?" I pointed at Shawn who was coming into the cafeteria with Maya.

Cory looked over at them and frowned. "Shawn's too busy with Maya. But I was thinking we could spend some time together. Get to know each other more. Like on a date sort of thing." He rubbed his hands together.

My eyes widened in shock. "Uh, why don't you ask Topanga?" I asked, starting to get a little nervous with where this was heading.

Cory scrunched up his face like he had a bad taste in his mouth. "Topanga? Topanga Lawrence? The girl who danced around my kitchen wearing lipstick on her face? No thanks."

"I just want to get one thing straight Cory. Don't ever look at me as a girl. Think of me as an annoying sister. Not dating material. Please, just ask Topanga out. I beg you," I said clasping my hands together. Coincidentally, Topanga walked into the cafeteria, also wearing a dress, but her's was more blue. Her long hair, in braids, as usual. "Ask her now!" I demanded, slightly pushing my dad forward to my mom. "Mom! Uh- I mean Topanga, Cory wants to ask you something." I mentality slapped myself for slipping up.

"Hi Cory. Hi Riley." Topanga greeted with a smile on her face. "Yes Cory?"

Cory glared at me before turning back to Topanga. "Uh, I wanted to ask you if you wanted to come over to my house after school?" he hesitantly asked. "Riley's coming too."

"What?" I asked, surprised by the sudden invite. "No I'm not-"

"Yes Riley." He had that looked which pleaded, _"Please don't leave me alone with her."_

I sighed. "Okay, yes. I'll be there too."

"Great! It's a date," Topanga stated enthusiastically and then walked away.

"A date?!" Cory freaked. He turned to me. "But I don't want a date with Topanga. I thought by inviting you it wouldn't be a date."

"Then why'd you ask me out on a date?" I looked over my shoulder once more to see Maya and Shawn getting along better than ever. "Was it to keep up with Shawn?" Cory didn't answer. I put my hand on my dad's shoulder and smiled. "Cory, Topanga obviously likes you. Please just go along with it. Besides, I'll be there to make sure everything goes smoothly." _Wait...I am going to be there. Me, Riley Matthews. Their daughter. I am setting up my parents on their first date. And I was supposed to be there too! _"Um, I think I'm coming down with something." I put my hand against my forehead and faked a cough.

Cory rolled his eyes, obviously not buying my fake sickness. "Come on Riley, you promised you would be there."

I dropped the phony act. "Alright, fine."

* * *

_What would you wear on a date that isn't supposed to be considered a date for you because you are just that third wheel who unexpectedly was invited?_ Yeah, I didn't know the answer to that question either, no matter how many times I kept repeating that to myself when I got home from school. I was supposed to go over to Cory's place in an hour and I needed to talk to Maya about this before I go ahead and make a fool out of myself in front of my parents.

"Maya?" I asked when we got to our room and settled our books bags on the floor.

"Yeah Riles?"

"What do you wear on a date that's supposed to be considered a date for you because you are not the third wheel-" I stopped my rambling when I realized I was going nowhere with this. "Wait, that's not how it goes. What do you wear-"

"Riley, what happened? Did you get a date? Is that what you're trying to tell me?"

I shook my head. "No. My parents got a date."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Cory invited _me _on their date. We're hanging out at his house in an hour. What am I supposed to do? What if they don't get along? What if I say something that'll mess everything up and then they don't end up together?"

"Riley, relax. We've been over this like a million times already. Don't try to force anything on them. Remember that if you see everything working out for them, just make up an excuse that you need to leave early to do chores or something so that your parents get some time alone together."

I smiled in realization. "Oh, I see where you're going with this. Clever thinking Maya."

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," I said and Mr. Feeny poked his head hesitantly through the crack of the door.

"I'll be back in a few hours. I need to run to the store to buy the groceries so that I may cook tonight's dinner. After we eat, I have something very important I need to discuss with you." He looked at Maya specifically. "Both of you."

After Mr. Feeny left, I turned to look at Maya in confusion, assuming she knew what Mr. Feeny was talking about.

"What's that?" I asked.

Maya stared off into space for a minute before she answered, "Um, I don't know! It could be anything really. You know how Mr. Feeny is with his lecturing." I pretended like I believed Maya because eventually I would find out what was so mysterious about what Mr. Feeny wanted to talk about with us. I just hoped it didn't have to do with anything Maya did wrong.

* * *

I went over to Cory's house. I decided not to change anything about my outward appearance such as my clothes because it wasn't like _I _was the one going on a date. It was a little silly for me to get dressed up for something that had nothing to do with me, but my parents. I felt as if I was going on a mission to make sure my parents had the perfect date. Did that sound like I was forcing things too much already?

"Hi Cory," I greeted entering through the kitchen door and into the living room to catch Cory throwing sock balls into a laundry basket placed on top of the coffee table. "What're you doing?"

"Playing sock basketball," he said shooting a sock ball landing perfectly inside the laundry basket.

"Is Topanga here yet?"

"No not yet. But thanks for coming over. I can't handle her weirdness all the time."

"Eventually you'll grow to love it," I said smirking knowingly.

The door bell rung and Cory went to answer it. Topanga entered the room carrying a container much like she did a few months ago.

"Hi Cory, hi Riley. I brought some brownies Chloe made for our date."

I waved awkwardly at my mom as I rocked back and forward on my feet.

Cory took the container from her hands and settled them on a table. "Yeah, uh thanks. But remember, this is not a date. We're just three friends hanging out at my house."

Topanga looked into Cory's eyes seriously. "May I ask you a personal question?"

"Sure," replied Cory.

"Why are there socks all over your floor?" Topanga asked, referring to the piles of socks lying around the living room floor.

"Oh, I was just practicing," Cory responded, tossing a sock ball effortlessly into the laundry basket.

"I envy your athletic ability," Topanga admired.

I was never good at any sport no matter how much I tried to match up my poor athletic abilities to Maya's star athletic abilities. It was nearly impossible, so I too was admired by the way my dad could simply toss sock ball into the laundry basket without missing.

"Oh, this? It's not so hard." Cory shrugged like it was no big deal. "Come on, I'll give you some pointers."

Topanga picked up a pair of Ninja Turtles undies from the floor, and by the way my dad's face turned instantly red by her sudden action, it was evident they were his. "Ninja turtles?"

"And now they're gone." Cory threw his undies over his shoulder. "Um, anyway, the key is good color commentary. "If you can live up to your own hype, you got it made. Watch this."

Cory started talking all this basketball terminology I couldn't quite get, but I could tell he was pretty good at it. In the end, he made a slam dunk.

"I could never do that," Topanga said.

"Sure you can," I encouraged. "Cory, why don't you show Topanga how you do it?" I suggested.

Cory gave me an odd look that meant he didn't want to. "Why don't you show her Riley?"

"Because I can't," I answered back.

"Alright, give it a try," Cory finally gave in and handed her a sock ball.

Topanga passed the sock ball from hand to hand hesitantly. "But I'm not familiar with the terminology."

"All right, I'll do the color. You just worry about getting the ball in the basket."

Again, Cory started talking all the basketball terminology that I couldn't quite catch. All Topanga did was walk toward the laundry basket and place the sock ball neatly on top of the pile of laundry.

"Look," she said proudly. "We both made a basket."

Cory seemed a little disappointed with Topanga's lack of motion and excitement. "Technically, yeah, but, uh basketball's so much more fun when you actually move. All right, you try and make another basket and I'll try and block you." Cory got in front of Topanga and put his hands in front of him to block her. She took one step to the left. He took one step to the left. She took another step to the right and so did he. Then she threw the sock ball and it went inside the laundry basket perfectly. "Way to go, Topanga," Cory congratulated.

Something funny happened right then. From all of the excitement they felt, Cory high-fived my mom and their eyes widened in realization that their hands were touching. My dad began to giggle like a maniac. It reminded me of whenever Lucas would look at me and I wouldn't be able to stop the butterflies from erupting in my stomach. Was I witnessing the first time my parents started having feelings for each other?

"It's nice that you help your father with the laundry," Topanga said after a while, trying to break the awkward tension in the room.

"Yeah, well, we're a fairly cutting-edge family so, uh, my mom does most of the laundry.  
I'm just helping out because Mother's Day is coming up."

"So you're doing chores for your Mother's Day gift?" Topanga asked as they sat down on the couch. I was still sort of in the background, observing everything that was happening.

"You think I could get away with that? What are you getting your mom? I could use some ideas." Cory asked Topanga. I decided then my parents no longer needed me on their first date. They looked so comfortable talking to each other on the couch. They were doing perfectly fine on their own.

"I should go now. Mr. Feeny probably needs help cooking dinner or something," I lied.

"But I haven't heard Mr. Feeny's car pulling up," Cory said. Rats! This was why I seldom lied.

"Uh, yeah, but it's almost time for my curfew."

Cory looked at the clock on the wall. "It's only 4 o'clock."

"I'll find something else to do. But you guys seem to be getting along well and I don't want to do anything to ruin it. You guys are turning out fine without me." And then I walked out the living room and walked back into Mr. Feeny's house.

* * *

After dinner, Maya and I cleared the table and washed the dishes. Mr. Feeny asked us to sit in the living room. We sat on the large couch as Mr. Feeny sat opposite to us on the cushioned chair. I looked down at my hands nervously. What if Mr. Feeny figured out we were from the future?

"I want to have a serious talk with you girls. I think I can assume from your past living conditions and struggles, you never had a proper talk about puberty and your changing bodies. I understand the documentary I showed the class yesterday might have served some purpose, but I believe it would be more beneficial if I personally answered any questions you ladies might have about anything."

"You?" Maya asked in disbelief.

I noticed sweat start to appear on Mr. Feeny's forehead as he discreetly tried to wipe it off with the back of his hand.

"You don't have to do this Mr. Feeny," I said feeling a little bad for him. He probably never done this before.

Mr. Feeny cleared his throat. "Mrs. Matthews has informed me Maya has started her menstrual cycle so I do feel it is necessary we have an open discussion about this."

"Oh, this is going to be good," Maya muttered under her breath.

"Maya, why didn't you tell me you started your period?" I asked, a little hurt my best friend didn't confined in me about something as exciting as this sooner.

"It's really nothing to celebrate about Riles. You'll understand when you get yours." Maya stood up from the couch. "Are we done now?"

"Ms. Hart, all I want you to know is don't only have Mrs. Matthews to confine in about these personal matters, but you also have me as your teacher and foster parent. If you ever need anything, you can come to me."

"Are you sure?" Maya asked.

Mr. Feeny nodded. "Yes."

"Are you sure?" Maya asked again, obviously not fully convinced.

"I am completely sure Ms. Hart."

"Does that mean I can stay home when I'm on my period?"

Mr. Feeny shook his head.

"It was worth a try," Maya muttered and went upstairs. I followed Maya upstairs and into our bedroom.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me about this Maya. Aren't we supposed to be telling each other everything? Because we're best friends?"

"I needed to ask your grandmother first for advice. It's not like I could ask you about this sort of stuff."

"But when were you planning on telling me? I just hope you know you can always tell me anything Maya. No doubt about that."

Maya looked at me for a second and smiled. "I'm sorry pumpkin. I know I can."

* * *

On Monday, as I entered the school hallways, I stopped at the corner of the corridor when I saw Cory walking up to Topanga and settling his backpack on the floor.

"Uh, Topanga? You and l have to get something straight."

"Yes, Cory?"

"Friday night when you came over to my house that was not a date," Cory cleared up.

Topanga only smiled understandingly. "That's fine, Cory. It was not a date."

"You know, your idea about writing my mom a poem for Mother's Day really worked out great. She cried."

Topanga smiled proudly. "Tears are the thank you notes of the soul."

"You know a lot about women." Cory sounded impressed.

"Well, I am going to grow up to be one," Topanga said then reached out to fix Cory's shirt, straightening out the collar. After she left, Cory unstraighted his collar. He paused for a second and fixed it again the way Topanga did. I smiled proudly of my work.

_Mission accomplished._

* * *

Later on during the day, I found myself sitting in the corner of the hallway with Cory on one side of me, and Shawn on the other. I had no idea where Maya had gone.

"Face it. Minkus was right," Shawn said staring off into space.

"Don't you hate it when that happens?" Cory answered back.

"No matter how you look at it there's going to be hormones, and there's going to be girls," Shawn stated.

"Important girls are going to come into our lives and stay for days at a time," replied Cory. I cringed at the thought that my mom could be just a temporary love for my dad.

"Look at the bright side guys, you've made it through your first dates and you're still best friends!" I added, trying to lighten the mood between the two boys.

"Yeah, and we're going to stay best friends through second dates, proms, engagements, marriages," Cory agreed.

"Second marriages," Shawn included.

"Whatever comes along we're going to stand here and face it together shoulder to shoulder," Cory said confidently.

I smiled to myself, relieved how no hormones was going to change these boys. "Absolutely. That's great. That's fantastic. That's-"

"Hey Hunter," Maya nodded cooly at Shawn as she walked past us.

"Hi Cory," Topanga greeted Cory as she came through the other way, also walking past us.

Without even having to explain themselves, Cory and Shawn immediately got up from the floor and just said, "Later," to each other before following their girls. I remained sitting on the floor.

_So I guess that promise didn't last too long._

"What a life I'm having," I said angrily to myself. Then I sighed, having to accept the fact that my dad and uncle were growing up, and perhaps so should I.

After all, boys will be boys.

* * *

**Author's Note: Thanks to those who said you related a lot to the previous chapter (regarding Maya getting her period and all) and the reason why I wrote that chapter is because I'm assuming there are more girls who read this story than boys. Or I could be wrong, I don't know. And yes, because it's a coming-of-age story and there is rarity of shows today doing this type of stuff, even Boy Meets World didn't and I doubt Girl Meets World will ever do something like this, I felt obligated to write it. But it was nice to write last chapter, since I understand this significant stage in a girl's life when she becomes a "woman" and yet still feels like a girl (for that happened to me when I was ten turning eleven, more than five years ago) so thank you for all of the rapid reviews I received on the day I posted the chapter. I am now cured from my sickness and thankfully, it happened before Christmas so I got to spend time with my family and enjoy it. Hilary will appear in season 2. The reason why I included Gary this early in the story is because he has a bigger role in season 4. You'll see ;)**

**Regarding the wiki contest, I just want to thank everybody who has been voting. The poll will close after Monday so please vote for Home is the Hart of the Holidays at least one more time! After this, there are two more rounds left of voting so it'd be great if I had the same support from you guys as I have this voting week. I'll keep you updated with the voting and if I'm moving on to the next round (I most likely will because of you guys). I was thinking of continuing Home is the Hart of the Holidays after the contest but having perhaps other characters' points of views as well? I know you've guys have been asking a lot on that and also about what's been going on with the present with all of this time Riley and Maya have been spending away from home and that will be answered in season 2! I also have an announcement that I know you guys will not like but it's better I tell you in chapter 19 instead of bringing you down right now :(**

**Fun fact (which I just discovered like a few minutes ago): Fanfiction is as old as me! :)**

**P.S- Don't forget to check out the link on my profile for the Q&amp;A from last chapter!**

**Quote of the week:**

"It's hard to imagine you as a boy. Did your parents call you Mr. Feeny?" **-Cory Matthews**

**-Mimi1239**


	18. Not Home Sweet Home

**Happy New Years Eve guys! Sorry for the late update, but even I have to take a break too. I've had to write a lot this break and I didn't expect this much work but that's what it is and that's what I promised you guys. My New Years Resolution is to have smaller notes but I know that's almost impossible because I always have something to say. I cannot believe I'm already at 300 reviews when there's still two more chapters for you guys to review. Next chapter will be the season/chapter finale. After that I have a very important announcement that I have to make obviously before I start on season 2 because it concerns my updating schedule. I know most of you expected a _Lady in the Tramp_ moment for Maya and Shawn on their "not-date" (although there was no spaghetti) but that didn't happen. Maya and Shawn do not kiss in season 1. Season 2...we'll see ;)**

**Because of you guys, I'm still in the running for the wikia contest! I couldn't believe my eyes that I managed to make it for the final round! It's all thanks to those who voted. I'll keep you updated on the next time you need to vote :)**

**There are now two people who will be in the special shout-out so if you want to be included in it, all you have to do is find the chapters you haven't reviewed and review them! This is your last chance before Sunday when I post the last chapter. So now (for the last time in 2014) I'd like to give a shout-out to those who reviewed my previous chapter: jenna323.m, Guest, Georgiaarms101, DisneyLover16, BunnyFromAbove, Waffleslover98, stephanie, Ali132, Jules, Guest, HK, Guest, hml1999, Nat-Marie, Pebblemist of LightClan, lilLaine02, Glee Clue Rock 1251, SilverSeaweedBrains, KaNugget, Liseegirl, and LoveShipper.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

Maya's Point of View

**_Monday, June 13th, 1994, Philadelphia_**

**_Past time, 4:00 P.M_**

I spent a lot of time wondering what would have happened if I had kissed Shawn on our "not-date" date. _Was it the right thing to do? Why was I feeling this way? Like I wanted to do it yet I knew it would just ruin everything. _Oh, yeah right. The hormones. Girls get them too.

Lately, especially once I got my period, I started noticing the amount of hair that kept growing in places that I never had grown in before. When I had the house to myself, sometimes, I would stand in front of the full mirror Riley and I had in our bedroom, with the door locked of course. I rarely got to see myself full out naked, even when I was in the shower. Once when I was inspecting myself, I noticed my boobs were getting bigger, so for the most part, I asked Mrs. Matthews questions about my changing body. She always knew the right thing to say so I was never afraid to ask her anything. She was gradually becoming like a mother figure to me. The mother I never had.

When Mr. Feeny made it clear to both Riley and me that we could ask him questions about our changing bodies, I just laughed to myself. There was no way a man like him would understand anything about us. Especially since we barely understood ourselves. I mean he was the wisest and smartest teacher and not to mention a responsible foster parent, but when it came to stuff like this, I just knew he wouldn't understand.

So back to Shawn. Hilary (thankfully) was backing off of Shawn and was more interested in the guy she brought to the movies. Was it Jerry? Oh right Gary. I thought they were perfect for each other. They were both good looking kids. No doubt about that. But they were also equally conceited. They only thought about themselves, and of course making out with each other. I had to be completely honest with myself. I had never went on a date before and I had never been kissed before. That was why...I couldn't kiss Shawn Hunter.

_"H-Hunter? What are you thinking right now?" I asked nervously, my shaky voice below a whisper as we were at the movies with everybody making out around us._

_He sort of giggled like he did in the cafeteria when he thought of Hilary. "I don't know. What are you thinking about?" __I looked over at Hilary sucking faces with her date in disgust. Didn't she have any self respect for herself? I felt the entire sight in front of me was revolting!_

_I didn't care about the way it looked or what Shawn would think about this later on. I grabbed onto Shawn's hand. "I'm thinking we should get out of here." And that was exactly what we did. We were only like ten minutes into the movie, but it wasn't like we were wasting money since we snuck in. I dragged Shawn all the way outside the theater before we stopped and I let go of his already sweaty hand._

_"What's wrong? Didn't you like the movie?"_

_"It was a foreign film Hunter! How could we be so stupid as to sneak into that kind of movie? I'm sure those two lovebirds are enjoying it. Besides, I had to save you before you fainted from nervousness."_

_Shawn scoffed. "I'll have you know, I've kissed plenty of chicks. You weren't going to be the first."_

_I laughed in his face. "Oh yeah? Well your mom and aunts don't count Hunter." I could tell I got him there by his reaction, but then a smirk plastered on his face._

_"I don't hear you bragging Maya. Who have you kissed?"_

_I made that 'pssh' sound. "I've kissed plenty of guys at my old school." He looked convinced that I was telling the truth. And like always, I just told yet another lie._

Our "not-date" date happened a month ago. After that, we thankfully managed to get back to our old selves. Our old bickering selves. The problem now though, was that Shawn probably thought I was a little bit more "experienced" than I looked. _Wait, why did I care what he thought?_

Okay so back to the story. There were only about two more weeks left of the sixth grade, and then it was goodbye Feeny and on to John Adams High. The place where all nightmares came true. Just like Disney Land, right? Well, It wasn't like Riley and I could actually get away from Mr. Feeny. He would still be our foster parent for a long time. Until someone made up their minds and adopted us, but since that didn't seem like it was happening anytime soon, we were stuck with him.

Mr. Feeny was giving us this big Geography test, which in my opinion, was a cruel and unusual punishment. I mean, he made us work all year and now when we were just weeks away from our summer vacation, he was giving us the biggest Geography test of our entire lives. It might seem like an exaggeration, but Cory had asked Eric what he thought of the test when he had to take it in the sixth grade and he told us he almost _died _from just studying for it. Now that seemed like an exaggeration, since Eric always took advantage of any opportunity he was given to scare the day lights out of Cory. But we all assumed his description of the test wasn't far off from reality.

The four of us were hanging around Cory's kitchen as usual, opening up our books for the first time since we arrived at Cory's house at three o'clock. Cory and Shawn were messing around with the blender and as usual, making a huge mess around the kitchen. It was then we decided we needed to get some studying done for tomorrow's test.

"Feeny's test tomorrow is going to be such a killer," Shawn commented.

Cory agreed. "Yeah, I don't understand why we have to learn anything about geography. Why do we have to learn where everything is? I'll just be like my dad and drive around till I find it."

"Look at Feeny," Shawn glared as we all looked over to glass window on the back door. "He's out there hanging up some geeky duck."

"Hey! I helped him pick out that duck. It was the only one left in the store," Riley defended herself.

"Not a care in the world while we're stuck in here studying for his lame test. Yeah. Life's fair," Shawn said sarcastically.

"Well, technically we haven't actually done any studying yet," Riley said. "Maybe we should get started."

I nodded in agreement. "Okay."

Shawn grabbed the cue cards he had made and organized them neatly. He read, "What is the capital of North Dakota?"

"Banff," Cory blurted out.

Shawn gave Cory a weird look. "We're toast."

I rested my chin on my hand. "Where's Farkle when you need him?" I asked Riley, forgetting Cory and Shawn were right in front of us listening!

Cory scrunched up his nose as he asked, "Who's Farkle?"

"Is he one of the _many_ guys you've kissed back at your old school?" Shawn teased.

Riley glared at me. Since we could sort of read each other's minds, I could hear her say '_Really, did you tell him that?' _All I could hear myself thinking was, _'Ew, gross. Me kissing Farkle?'_

"Uhh, did she say Farkle? She meant Minkus. Right Maya?" Riley tried to cover up for me.

"Yeah. Farkle...Minkus, same diff." I shrugged my shoulders simply.

"Well, I could have asked Minkus to come over to help us study but he charges tutoring lessons by the hour," Cory explained.

"So, what's going to be your excuse to miss tomorrow? Stomach ache? Headache?" Shawn suggested.

Cory stood up from his chair in frustration. "Why should we always be the ones faking a disease to get out of school? How come Feeny can't shoulder a little more responsibility?

Shawn scoffed. "Ah, dream on. I hear he hasn't missed a day of school since World War l."

"You think you have it tough?" I challenged. "Riley and I have to actually _live_ with the man. He makes us get up at six in the morning to water his plants _everyday_. We're never allowed to have anybody over. And besides, Mr. Feeny has never gotten sick. He's as strong as they get," I said.

"Come on, cough!" Cory commanded looking at Mr. Feeny finishing hanging the duck. All Mr. Feeny did was stand strong with his hands on his hips as he gazed at his hung duck.

* * *

That evening though, was when everything changed. Mr. Feeny, Riley, and I were eating dinner when Mr. Feeny began coughing.

"Have you prepared for my test tomorrow ladies?" he asked before he sneezed into his napkin.

"Are you okay Mr. Feeny? Maybe you should go upstairs and rest. We'll clean up after we're done," Riley said, looking worried and concerned over Mr. Feeny's well being.

"That's very generous of you Miss Matthews, but I think I'm fine really. I've been out too long in my garden. It's the sniffles, is all."

_Cough, cough, cough._

"Are you sure? We wouldn't mind," Riley said, trying to convince Mr. Feeny to go to bed. After a while, he gave in.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to rest for tomorrow." Mr. Feeny got out of his seat, clutched his side and then collapsed on the floor. My heart almost dropped.

* * *

I called the ambulance while Riley went next door to the Matthews and got Mr. and Mrs. Matthews over to help us take Mr. Feeny to the hospital. I instantly regretted every bad thing I had ever said to Mr. Feeny. I felt like a terrible person. Watching Mr. Feeny fall down like he did, it scared me. He was the healthiest teacher I ever had. How could this happen to someone like him?

"Is he going to be okay?" a teary-eyed Riley asked Cory's parents as they drove us home.

"Of course he is sweetie. He's a strong man. He had a bad appendix. The doctors said he'll be out in a week or so," Mrs. Matthews reassured.

"You should probably stay in our house girls. I don't think Mr. Feeny would want us letting you stay in his house alone."

"We'll be fine Mr. Matthews," I said. "Really, we know how to manage. We need to water his plants every morning."

I was a little surprised when they told us they were letting us stay by ourselves. We were two twelve year olds with no supervision (well except for the fact that we were invited to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the Matthews and that they claimed they would be watching us like hawks from their house) but other than that, we were free as birds.

* * *

We skipped breakfast that morning and headed straight to school. We had a substitute teacher. Her name was Miss Chase. Both Cory and Shawn were both confused as to why Mr. Feeny was absent.

"Didn't you hear? Mr. Feeny's in the hospital," Riley explained to the boys at lunch.

"What?" Cory jumped up. "How's it possible? He was fine yesterday when he was hanging up his duck."

Topanga was standing next to our table. "It's karma Cory. What goes around, comes around," she said before walking away.

"Didn't your parents told you they drove us to the hospital yesterday when Mr. Feeny collapsed on the floor?" I asked Cory.

"No, they left early today. I made my own breakfast," Cory explained.

"The hospital? Whoa, you are good," Shawn said, a sign of nervousness starting to appear on his face.

Cory furrowed his eyebrows. "Me? I didn't do this."

"You wished he would get sick."

"I didn't wish for him to get sick."

"Sure, you did. Yesterday, when we weren't studying."

"No! You believe me right guys?" Cory turned to us.

"Of course we do Cory," Riley assured. "You can't just wish people ill. We're going to visit Mr. Feeny today. Want to come with us?"

"Me? Why would I want to do that? It's not like I have anything to be guilty about that I have to go to the hospital to apologize for," Cory said while he tapped his foot nervously on the floor.

"I never said that," Riley defended herself. Cory got up from his seat and ran out of the cafeteria. _Poor kid. Probably thinks it's his fault._

* * *

A frantic knock on the door after we got home from school caused Riley to jump in fright. I nonchalantly got up to answer the door.

"Maya don't answer that! It could an ax murderer!" my poor innocent best friend whispered the last part.

"You are so your father's daughter," I commented referring to the fact that Riley's neurotic personality was just like Cory's.

"Who's it?" I called out.

"Cory!" the person answered behind the door. I opened the door and it was Cory looking freaked out.

"Alright fine. You win. Let's go visit Feeny."

"Where's your buddy in crime?" I asked, referring to Shawn.

"I didn't bring him. I just wanna see if Feeny's alright and if I had anything to do with it." Cory's eyes were as wide as dinner plates.

"What's wrong with you? It looks like you've seen a ghost," I commented.

"I did! Well in my dream. It was Mr. Feeny saying it was all my fault! That I killed him."

Even Riley rolled her eyes at how ridiculous that sounded. "You didn't kill him Cory. We'll prove it to you."

* * *

The three of us took the bus to the hospital. On the way, we chipped in and bought a plant for Mr. Feeny. We snuck into his room without any of the nurses catching us.

"Hi Mr. Feeny," Cory greeted as we entered Mr. Feeny's room. He was lying on his bed in one of the gowns reading the newspaper. He looked shock to see us. "You're not dead," Cory let slip up in amazement.

"Mr. Matthews of course I'm not dead. Where are your parents?"

"They didn't bring me," Cory said.

"We took the bus," I explained.

"Actually, they don't even know we're here," Riley stated honestly.

"We brought you a germanium." Cory carried the plant over to Mr. Feeny and settled it on a table next to his bed.

"Geranium," Mr. Feeny corrected.

"Didn't I say germanium?"

"Yes, you did. In fact, germanium is a chemical element. Atomic weight-72. 59. It's used as a semiconductor."

"Your brain must weigh so much," I stated in amazement.

"A _geranium_ is a lovely plant. In California, they can grow to the size of a bush."

A redhead nurse came into the room right then. "Are these your grandchildren?" she asked smiling.

"No," Cory said immediately.

"No way," I said.

"Not at all," Riley included.

Mr. Feeny pointed to us. "What they said. These are my students; Cory Matthews, Riley Matthews, and Maya Hart. This is Nurse Jill," Mr. Feeny introduced us to the redhead nurse. She smiled.

"Well, it's nice to see that your students came to visit you, George."

"She calls you by your first name?" Cory said, seemingly impressed by this fact.

Mr. Feeny gritted his teeth. "Don't blow it for me, you little weasel."

"Well Cory, Riley, and Maya, you stay as long as you like. See you later George," Nurse Jill smiled once more before leaving the room.

"She seems nice," Cory commented.

Mr. Feeny nodded his head in agreement. "Yes, indeed. Very nice."

Cory stopped smiling when he realized something. "Did we just have, like, a guy moment?" he asked Mr. Feeny.

"I suppose we did. Why are you here, Mr. Matthews? I mean, a hospital is a very scary place."

"I guess I wanted to see with my own eyes that you're okay," Cory explained.

"I guess we did too Mr. Feeny. You really scared us when you fell like that," Riley said.

"Cory wanted to make sure you weren't dead," I explained.

Mr. Feeny smiled. "Oh, I can't die kids. I have too much work left undone, too many students left untaught."

Cory raised an eyebrow. "Like me?"

"_Especially_ you. In a strange way, you've kept me alive."

Cory let out a breath of relief. "I'm glad. Because there still might be some stuff you're going to teach me that I'm gonna need someday."

"Thank you very much for coming kids. I expect my house to be in proper order when I come back Miss Matthews and Miss Hart." He looked particularly at me.

"Hey, everything's the way you left it Mr. Feeny. We wouldn't do anything to stress you out more. Your plants are especially in great condition," I assured.

Mr. Feeny smiled gratefully at us. "And for that, I will be thankful for all that you have done ladies."

"Are you thankful enough to cancel the test?" Riley asked. Mr. Feeny shook his head. _Hey, I had to give her credit for trying. She was becoming more and more like me every day._

Before we left, Cory said, "Mr. Feeny, thank you."

Mr. Feeny furrowed his eyes in confusion. "For what?"

Cory shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know yet."

* * *

Once we got home, Cory went inside his house and Riles and I went back next door to water Mr. Feeny's plants. After that, we were supposed to go over to the Matthews house and eat dinner there. That was what we had planned on doing. Life's funny when it takes unexpected turns, huh?

The door knocked. This time Riley and I were confident enough not to ask who it was because we thought it was going to be Cory calling us to dinner or the mailman giving us the mail. We imagined it to be anybody else other than the person who was actually behind the door when we answered it...

* * *

**Author's Note: I hope all of you have a HAPPY NEW YEAR! Don't get too crazy again, alright? Not that most of you can anyway ;P And thanks for a great Fanfiction year. I enjoyed reading all of your reviews, meeting, and chatting with some of you personally. It's because of your support and feedback it's been enjoyable for me writing this story. Some of you are probably questioning why in fact is the title called "Seven Years in the Nineties" and that, my friends, is because Riley and Maya will gradually grow with the gang throughout the seven years on the show. Now how do they manage to do this without changing the future and going back to their normal time without anybody noticing they were gone, is what THIS STORY IS ABOUT. Wait and see what happens. So readers, I hope I managed to answer your question openly. I think I already answered this question before but what the heck. The return of Nurse Millar will occur next chapter, which is pretty obvious from the title and all.**

**If any of you thought the chapter _The Diary of a Young Girl _(chapter 7) was offensive in any way at all, go back to it and you'll see my reasons for including offensive terms in the chapter. I received a rude review from a guest saying the chapter was offensive because apparently I was using the "n" word like if it were a toy when I hope at least you guys understand I wasn't. I was trying to prove a point with racism. That it still exists even after the end of World War II. So yeah, if you want go back to chapter 7, read my updated note and tell me what you think about that if you want. I'm just trying to forget this event in general.**

**P.S- Don't forget to check out the link on my profile for the Q&amp;A from last chapter! I made something special for all of you in my blog. I hope you liked it and that it was as funny for you as it was for me! :)**

**Quote of the week:**

"I'm supposed to see other people. You're supposed to wait until I die." **-Cory Matthews**

**-Mimi1239**


	19. A Visit from the Nurse

**Happy 2015 guys! Can you believe school starts tomorrow? I've been cramming everything I need to study into my head so that's why I haven't updated quickly. Hope you enjoyed all of the chapters I've posted over the Christmas break and good luck in school! This is the season/chapter finale. _A Visit from the Nurse _will explore more on Nurse Millar and how much she knows about the girls and to what extent she is willing to help them, so keep reading and tell me what you think in a review! I can't believe I'm almost at 100 followers. Thanks guys for everything! I am almost at 400 reviews too, when I only asked for 300 a few chapters ago. I'm going to post Home is the Hart of the Holidays really soon, so please read that! It will explain some stuff about Evelyn Rand. I'd like to give a shout-out to those who reviewed my previous chapter: Broadwaygirl21, Ali6132, jenna323.m, honeylemon975, alyssaunicorn, Anonymous, L.H, HK, Emma, demi-wolf3T, MyNameIsViolet, Liseegirl, DisneyLover16, hml1999, Pebblemist of LightClan, Kingofclubs8129, stephanie, lilLaine02, and sibunalover4934.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

Riley's Point of View

_**Tuesday, June 14th, 1994, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 6:00 P.M**_

Evelyn Rand, or actually the woman who was referred to as Nurse Millar right now, was standing in our doorway. Nurse Millar wasn't wearing the white nurse uniform we were so used to seeing her in, but instead was dressed in normal causal clothes. She carried a big purse in her hand. I almost jumped out of my skin at the sight of seeing her again. I never expected that Maya and I would ever see her again. At least not in this time period.

Instinctively, Maya and I shut the door in her face and locked it.

"I have something that belongs to you Riley and Maya," Nurse Millar calmly said behind the door.

"Whatever it is, can you slide it under the door?" I asked in a shaky voice.

"I'm sensing you girls don't get a lot of visitors," she answered back.

"No, we're just not allowed to let strangers into the house while Mr. Feeny's in the hospital." I explained. Maya nudged me in the ribs once I said that. "Ow!" I yelped.

"Riles, don't say that. Now she knows we're alone!" Maya whispered.

"We're not strangers girls. Now I have your photo album so if you want it back, you must open the door for me to give it to you." _The photo album?! The one that proves Maya and I are clearly from the future?_

Maya and I gave each other a look._ Is Nurse Millar telling us the truth, or was she saying that she had the photo album so that we can open the door and then she can kidnap us? _After everything that Maya and I had been through, we were not very trusting of others. Especially those who we thought would try to expose us. But this was Nurse Millar. The kind nurse that took us in when we had nowhere else to go. Not Crazy-Martha-the-Bean-Stock who tried to murder us when she found out our secret. I still shuddered at even the slightest memory of Martha.

Okay, Nurse Millar was not Martha. But that didn't matter anymore. What mattered was her intentions now. Why did she not tell us who she was? I mean, she had to have known who we were in order for her to accept total strangers into her orphanage.

And I was right.

Hesitantly, I unlocked the door and opened it. Nurse Millar poked her head into the house in a very cautious manner. From a distance, you would think Nurse Millar was one of those innocent ladies you'd see in the background of a movie. Minding her own business. She didn't seem to draw any particular attention to herself, which was definitely not what she would become in twenty years. She was hard to figure out, I guess.

Nurse Millar stepped moved herself into the living room. "I know your teacher is not here, which is why I chose to come today." She settled her purse on the coffee table, sat down on Mr. Feeny's cushioned chair, and pulled out the medium-sized photo album which we hadn't seen in months. I really never expected to see it again. Nurse Millar handed it to me as we sat down on the couch.

I gasped. "Shawn's photo album!" I shrieked excitedly showing it to Maya. Maya maintained a straight face as she looked at Nurse Millar, who sighed.

"I know you girls think I have some explaining to do. I know that you know who I am, and I know who you are too."

"Who are we?" Maya challenged, leaning back on the couch and crossing her arms across her chest, a look of seriousness on her face.

"I grew up in the world of fortune-telling. My parents were the proud owners of this fortune-telling business we had in a big building in New York in the mid-seventies. During the summers, my parents would make me practice my fortune-telling skills. My older brother, Ron was always the better fortune-teller. At least that was what I made him believe."

"Why'd you make him believe he was the better fortune-teller?" I asked.

"I never wanted him to think I was better than him at anything. He was very competitive, but I never was. I didn't care. He liked to think he brought in more money than anybody in the family. Sometimes, I believed I was even better at predicting the future than my parents. But I didn't want them to know that."

I raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Why?"

"Do you understand how crazy fortune-telling sounds? I never told anybody I could predict the future because I didn't want to feel left out. The entire neighborhood thought my family was weird. I just wanted to be normal. I was the most practical one in the family. So thinking that I grew out of my fortune-telling faze, I took health-care, biology, parenting, and accounting courses throughout high school and graduated in the top of my class for both business and medicine. I then moved to Philadelphia and went to college while volunteering at an orphanage nearby."

"What does that have to do with how you know us?" Maya asked.

Nurse Millar looked down at her hands. "I started having vivid dreams and visions a few years ago about two girls who came from the future and how they had no place to stay. In one of my dreams, I let them stay in the orphanage without telling them who I was and how I knew them. I thought I was going insane when everything started coming true. When I saw that the two girls had been you Riley and Maya and that I had seen you in my visions before."

"How do we know you're telling us the truth?" Maya asked, distrusting the nurse.

Nurse Millar burst into a light chuckle, finally sounding like the Evelyn Rand we knew. "Well Maya Hart, born and raised in New York City. I know we'll meet in the year 2014 and you nickname me 'Crazy Hat Lady' because I wear these crazy hats while sitting on the subway bench, observing people. You later find out I'm a successful business woman."

My jaw dropped. My voice shaky and scared while I asked desperately, "S-So you mean y-you see us in your dreams and visions? D-Does that mean you can help us?"

Suddenly, Nurse Millar's face showed sadness. "Listen girls. The reason why I didn't want to tell you about this sooner is because I stopped having these dreams and visions a few weeks after you came. I want to help you get back to your time, but I'm afraid I cannot do this until I can find a way to send you back. I had a feeling you girls already found out about me, and when I came to the orphanage with the kids, I found your photo album sprawled all of the floor. My room was a disaster. I called the police because I thought someone had broken in."

"We're really sorry about your room!" I immediately apologized.

"What happened to Martha? Is she really gone?" Maya asked.

Nurse Millar nodded. "Yes. The social workers decided to send Martha to Pittsburgh where they thought she would fit best. Believe me girls, I had no idea to what extend she would harm you. I apologize for that. Now, I know photo album is very important to you girls, I trust you to take care of it, but I must advise you to try to not disrupt anything that can affect the future. Especially things that have to do with your parents Riley Matthews." Nurse Millar turned to look at me. "It seems like the two of you will be stuck here for a while longer. Have you told anybody else about this?"

We shook our heads.

"It's best that it stays that way." Nurse Millar got up and we walked her to the door. "I must go back to the orphanage. I'll let you know when I have figured something out to help you girls." And just like that, she walked away.

I let out the deep breath I hadn't realized I was holding in. I turned to look at Maya who was staring back at me.

"Do you believe her Maya?" I asked in my nervous and fearful voice.

Maya shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Should we? She could have told us sooner who she was. What if she never comes back?"

"She will," I said, suddenly feeling sure in what I was saying.

"How do you know?"

Was it silly to still sound naive even after everything we went through? I was twelve years old. All my life, Maya had always had this street smart knowledge in her, so I was always the more innocent one. She would quickly know if we were being scammed or not. But yes, I realized that people lied, cheat, and stole all the time. Was that a good reason to stop believing in people's words?

"Because...she promised."

* * *

With this new found knowledge, Maya and I went over and ate dinner at Cory's house. Shawn was invited too, obviously. We talked about Mr. Feeny, who was supposed to be back in a few days from the hospital and how we went to visit him to give him the geranium plant.

"Mr. Feeny told us about the geography test he wants you to study for which you will be taking tomorrow," my grandfather, Mr. Matthews said after we all finished dinner.

"What?!" the four of us yelled in shock.

"Yes, that means the four of you will stay in this kitchen until you finish studying," my grandmother, Mrs. Matthews said as she handed us our textbooks and both of Cory's parents went to the living room.

"I guess it's time to get to work," I said opening up my textbook before Shawn stopped me.

"Wait, why should we take this dumb test anyway? It's not like it's going to help us when we're older."

For once, Cory disagreed. "Well, my dad has this idea that if we do the work that Mr. Feeny is teaching us now, somehow and in the least expected time, we're going to need the knowledge even if it's the most bogus thing."

"Like geography?" Maya asked.

"_Especially_ geography," Cory said. I nodded my head, impressed with what my dad had learned.

* * *

We practically studied until our brains hurt, and then the next day we were given the geography test. After school, while the four of us walked through the halls together, Maya commented, "That test was pretty easy."

"Yeah, that's a first. Doesn't it feel great to actually know what the test is about while taking it?" Shawn asked. Maya agreed. I furrowed my eyebrows. These two were definitely getting too close for anybody's comfort, and I remembered what Nurse Millar warned us: _"I must advise you to try to not disrupt anything that can affect the future."_

"Cory!" Topanga said running up us, her long hair bouncing as she ran. She stopped in front of us. "Do you want to come over to my house today and do homework?"

Despite the fact that I found this to be the best thing that had ever happened to my parents, I also found this a little strange. My mom never really seemed to be interested in my dad no matter how much I pushed her to be. Was she starting to like him now?

I was even more surprised when Cory didn't stare at her weirdly for asking him such a thing although he had done so all of the other times he had to do projects with Topanga. "Why don't you come over to my house and we can all hang out together?" _Yes! There really is a God up there._

Topanga smiled brightly. "It's a date. I mean, a study date," she stuttered. _Okay, so now we have to work on the terms..._

* * *

Mr. Feeny came back home on Friday night. Maya and I were so happy he was back that we didn't care about waking up at six in the morning to water his garden. By the time it was eight o'clock, Cory came outside and tried to hang up Mr. Feeny's duck that had fallen the day we went to visit Mr. Feeny.

"Good morning, Mr. Matthews," Mr. Feeny greeted Cory as he stepped outside holding in his hands the geranium plant we gave him.

"Mr. Feeny, you're home early," Cory noted in surprise.

"Well, I got most of my strength back. Besides, they replaced Nurse Jill with Nurse Larry. I figured it was time to leave."

"I'm trying to fix your duck," Cory said.

Mr. Feeny smiled gratefully. "Yes, so I see. Thank you. Why don't you take a break and help me plant this?" Mr. Feeny said referring to the geranium he held in his hands.

"You're putting our puny plant in the ground?" Maya asked.

Mr. Feeny knelt on the floor and took the plant out of the pot, then settled it gently beside his other grown plants. "Your plant, though immature and undeveloped has within it the potential to grow and flower with the help of a proper gardener."

"You think so Mr. Feeny?" I asked with a smile forming on my face.

"Oh, yes, as long as no one wishes it ill," Mr. Feeny said glancing at Cory, who had a shock look on his face. Maya and I tried to hold in our giggles.

* * *

Summer was now near. In only a few days every kid in the world would have the liberty to do what they wanted. Maya and I decided to hide the photo album inside a box with a lock on it. It was located inside our underwear drawer where we were sure Mr. Feeny wouldn't look in if he happened to stumble into our room. Not that we believed that Mr. Feeny would ever snoop inside our room, but we thought it was the smartest place to hide it in case anybody decided to come in.

In September, we would follow my parents and Shawn into the seventh grade. John Adams High. Wow, how did things get to this so quickly? If it weren't for Maya's plan to go to the same school as my parents, I probably wouldn't have understood them more than I ever thought possible. But underneath everything, I really did miss home.

And it took a lot of convincing, but I managed to convince Maya that everything Nurse Millar said was true. The fortune-telling, visions, and everything. She was going to come back and help us, I was sure of it. If we wanted to go back home, we had to believe in Nurse Millar. I mean, what other choice did we have?

* * *

**EXTREMELY**** IMPORTANT Author's Note: So yeah, that's a wrap for season 1! Okay, so I promised a "Did You Know?" segment and that will shown below:**

**_DID YOU KNOW?_**

**1\. I got the name Matilda (little black orphan from_ The Diary of a Young Girl_) from the movie _Matilda _(ah, loved that movie as a kid)**

**2\. Ms. Vautor (social worker in _Secret's Out!_) was actually my History teacher in the tenth grade last year. She wasn't mean like the social worker in the story though. She was very funny and smart :)**

**3\. I got the name Millar from my religion teacher in the tenth grade also last year too. I got the highest grade in her class and she didn't even know who I was this year! (Weird, right?)**

**4\. I got the name Martha from a girl who used to bully my older sister when they were in elementary school. She was very short though, nothing like the Martha in the story, but she had a "posse" that stuck with her well through their elementary school years. Luckily, my sister grew out of her victim years and hasn't seen Martha in a long time.**

**5\. I was originally going to have two people reveal to be some importance to Riley and Maya, but I decided on only Nurse Millar...for now at least. I am planning on another character meeting one of the girls in season 4 and then again in season 5.**

**6\. The very first thing that motivated me to publishing the first chapter of the story was the episode of Girl Meets World, Girl Meets 1961. When Cory talked about missed opportunities, I just knew it was the right time for me to publish this story. The very next day, I did.**

**7\. The first chapter _The Makeup _was originally supposed to be called _The Coverup _but I changed it quickly because I liked it better.**

**8\. I've had this account for three years but I never published or used this account until I published this story.**

**9\. Originally, I was going to have a Twitter account to answer all of your reviews but then made a Tumblr account and things started from there. I'm so glad you guys read my blogs because it takes me like an hour to create each one.**

**10\. Chapter 16 is my most reviewed chapter (29 reviews) so far and I think I know why (you Maya/Shawn shippers!) while Chapter 3, 4, and 5 are my least reviewed chapters of this story (13 reviews).**

**11\. All of the dates that I use for every chapter (shown at the very top) are actual dates. I do not make them up!**

**12\. Average reviews (because I'm a little math geek) is 19.2 reviews each chapter. And believe it or not, with every chapter, the average reviews keep growing!**

**13\. My name is actually not Mimi, it's only my childhood nickname which I always use instead of my real name :) (but you can still call me Mimi)**

**Now on to the Loyalest Reviewers shout-out! This goes out to the readers who have reviewed every single chapter of my story so far: lilLaine02, stephanie (Guest), Ali6132 (Guest), and Broadwaygirl21! Congrats guys! All of you are my inspiration and the reason why I don't name all of you is because I'm kind of afraid to accidentally forget to mention one of you because all of you guys are important to me and I don't want to make anybody feel left out.**

**I don't want to leave on a sad note, but I feel like I have no choice. I'm so grateful to have found my story niche (or niece as Eric Matthews would say) on my very first story. As I promised months ago and still promise now, the story has stuck around for 19 chapters and it will continue for many more. I can assure you of that. Now without further a due, I have to reveal some bad news. I will be going on a month-long hiatus. Exams are coming up shortly for me and my education comes first. It always has to. Sometimes I feel like I have been focusing more on my stories than my school work and since grades are especially important now than any other year for me (I'm in my junior year) because universities will be looking at them next year, I feel it is time I concentrate on my school work right now. It gave me a lot of stress (I'm not going to lie) when some readers kept pressuring me to update more than once a week but you have to understand I do have a life outside of the computer screen which I must live as I'm sure all of you do too. All I can hope for now is that you support my decision. I may not be able to change the way you take this news, but at least I'll be more relaxed with myself knowing that I had the courage to do this. Please, I don't want any hate reviews. I will continue posting Home is the Hart of the Holidays because I have to for the contest. I'll keep you updated on that. I REALLY want to hear what you guys think of the two episodes that are premiering this week and next week, so leave me a review and tell me what you think. You know where I'll be, watching both episodes on a live stream in my computer. But for the rest, I can't ask much more from you than to wait until February 1st, 2015 for chapter 20.**

**I'll miss you guys ;( Remember to stay golden, take on the world, and I'll be back before you know it! :D**

**P.S- Don't forget to check out the link on my profile for the Q&amp;A from last chapter!**

**Quote of the week:**

"That's a plant you idiot!" **-Cory Matthews**

**-Mimi1239**


	20. Misfits of the Seventh Grade

**I'M BACK GUYS! AAAH! I cannot believe how long it's been since I posted the last chapter, but I'm so glad you guys understand that I needed a break. Every single one of you reviewers surprised me with your compassion and that just makes me love you guys even more. And now I'd like to talk about the Wikia contest! For those of you who did not know, I actually won the contest! It was all thanks to you guys who supported and voted for me. I wouldn't have done it without you guys, so thank you so much! Bigger and better things will come in season 2 and season 3. For one thing, Riley will get a love interest in season 2. He's a character you haven't really heard about but he's been mentioned in my story a few times. Yeah, so it won't be Lucas. And for Maya, she will start to develop a love for music in this very chapter! Also, lots more will go on between her and Shawn. ESPECIALLY in season 3. I hope you guys will enjoy what I have in store for this story. I will be posting once a week as I've always done. I finished all of my exams last week and will begin a new semester starting TOMORROW! New semester, new season. How exciting, huh? New classes, new teachers. I'll take on the world! So now, let us continue! I'd like to give a shout-out to those who reviewed my previous chapter: Teenage life of laziness, Guest, mrs. peeta mellark 2.0, Broadwaygirl21, GreekGeek1140804, HK, Guest, HK, guest, MyNameIsViolet, DisneyLover16, jenna323.m, alyssaunicorn, honeylemon975, Jenna Yu, Ali6132, L.H, Pebblemist of LightClan, Kingofclubs8129, x. MissyWhitneyBex .x, Liseegirl, Glee Clue Rock 1251, LoveShipper, Emma, stephanie, and Nat-Marie.**

**I almost forgot, I want to give a shout-out to the most popular story in the archive in my opinion, Please Don't Leave Me by KaylaMaeve20209! I seriously loved the ending. Heartbreaking and now I can't stop listening to that song by P!NK. Genius, congrats on the 1k reviews too! :)**

**Story time! Enjoy :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

Maya's Point of View

**_Tuesday, September 6th, 1994, Philadelphia_**

**_Past time, 6:30 A.M_**

I had woken up today to the sound of beautiful piano music playing. I could just barely hear it from my shared bedroom with Riley. It sounded like classical music. It was one of those familiar songs you would hear playing in a music box. It was coming from the living room. I lifted my head up from my pillow, a little confused like any normal person would be. I stretched my arms and legs before heading downstairs to where the music was coming from. Surely enough, the music was coming from the living room, and the piano player was none other than my foster parent, George Feeny.

"Mr. Feeny? What's going on? I've never heard you play the piano before," I said over the soft music he was playing so beautifully. It amazed me so much because Riley and I had been living in his house for six months now and he'd never even open the fall board.

"Miss Hart," he said, seemingly shocked once he had finished playing like he didn't even realize I was standing there the whole time. He quickly stood up from the bench and got as far away from the piano as he could. It reminded me of the reaction a little boy would have if his mom caught him stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. "Good morning. Are you ready for school?"

_Oh right, school._ Today would be the first day back to school after two months of laziness. Except this time, we would be going on to the seventh grade and to a new school. The 'very great John Adams High', as Mr. Feeny would put it. And the reason why he referred to the school as 'great' was because he currently got the job as the principal, much to my dismay.

I mentally rolled my eyes. "I guess so. I just need to get dressed. But um...what was that song you were just playing? It sounds familiar and I've always loved that song."

"Oh, that? Well Miss Hart, that was classical piece written by Beethoven. It's called 'Para Elisa'. However, I've never known you to be so interested in classical music."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Neither did I."

* * *

Riley woke up half an hour later and since I was already ready, I sat down and ate breakfast with Mr. Feeny. From across the kitchen and through the kitchen door clear glass window, I could see Cory and Shawn doing their happy handshake dance which I found extremely weird because I never thought those two out of all kids in the world would be happy about starting junior high.

Riley came through the door. "Good morning Mr. Feeny. Good morning Maya," my best friend said with a cheerful smile on her face.

"Good morning Miss Matthews. Care for some breakfast?" Today, Mr. Feeny was serving some type of plant which he considered 'healthy'. Although I felt like barfing, I still had to eat it.

"Riley, look outside. It's your d- I mean Cory and Shawn are dancing," I said holding Riley's shoulder once she sat down and pointed to the two twelve year old boys doing the same dance, but this time, in a much cooler, slower, and definitely more goofy manner.

Riley laughed. "When did Shawn get sideburns?" I looked again, this time squinting my eyes a bit. How could I have missed that? Shawn wearing these over sized side burns that looked totally fake.

"Probably trying to make himself look older. It's not going to work."

Once Mr. Feeny finished his breakfast (the plant) which he managed to eat without vomiting like Riley and I almost did, he excused himself. Riley turned and whispered to me, "Do you think Topanga's going to listen to us? I mean it was some good advice, right?"

"Riley, I'm no expert on love. We'll just have to wait and see," I said causally, drinking down some water to get the taste of plant out of my mouth.

_Yesterday, on Labor Day, we bumped into Topanga and then she invited us to her house. I barely recognized her because her long hair was no longer in braids anymore. It was a little wavy as it hung to her hips, but it was a good look on her. This wasn't the Topanga Riley and I knew two months ago. Even the way she spoke was different. A lot faster and natural. And normal. When we got to her room, she told us she needed some advice on a problem she was having._

_"I think I like Cory," she stated in a worried tone, almost as if it was the worst thing she ever said._

_Riley perked up and smile. "That's great! That's amazing. What's the problem?"_

_Topanga paced back and forth in her own room. "I don't think he likes me back. He always thought I was an annoying weirdo last year. And I mean that didn't bother me before, but I'm a different person now. A new Topanga."_

_Riley smiled sympathetically. "Just be yourself Topanga. I know for a fact he'll like you for being you."_

_I shook my head. "No, no, no. Cory will like you if you play hard to get."_

_"Kind of like how you do with Shawn?" Topanga asked._

_My jaw dropped. "What? I don't play hard to get with Shawn. Okay, back to you. If you play hard to get, Cory will want you more."_

_"No! Maya, that's bad advice. She should just be herself," Riley argued._

_I pretended like I let Riley win but then before we left, I whispered to Topanga, "Listen, being yourself will not get you anywhere. Play hard to get and Cory'll like you." Topanga nodded her head understandingly._

_But deep down inside, I knew I was so wrong._

* * *

Mr. Feeny drove us to our brand new school. John Adams High, the torture school. As we got out of the car, Riley and I looked up at the tall building. We looked at each other and tried to smile confidently. Then we locked arms and skipped inside. We met up with Cory, Shawn, and Topanga as we entered inside the school.

Topanga tapped the boys on the shoulders. "Hi," she said.

"Topanga!" Cory said getting us all in one big group hug. I quickly wiggled myself out of it once I realized Shawn was hugging me for way too long.

"What's with you guys?" Topanga asked, a little freaked out by the sudden group hug.

"We just missed you, that's all." Cory said.

"But we live next door?" Riley countered.

"Yeah, but we both went to camp, remember?" Cory stated, referring to Shawn and himself. I had almost forgotten about that.

"Walk in front of us," Shawn said, pushing the three of us girls in front of them as we walked. I turned around to catch Shawn staring at my chest.

"What are you staring at Hunter?" I asked irritably.

"Uh nothing," he stuttered. "New blouse?"

"Yeah, I got it over the summer." I was wearing this green v-neck t-shirt that showed a little of my developed cleavage. _Guess I knew better than to wear that to school._

"Summer was very good to you," he commented, and then winked at me.

I stepped up to him. "Yeah, well, at least what I grew is real," I said ripping off the fake sideburns from his face.

"Ouch!" he yelped. The bell rung.

"That's homeroom. I checked the list, we're all together," Topanga informed. "Room 218. We have Mr. Turner," she pointed to a classroom right across the hall.

I looked over at Riley knowingly. We were finally going to meet Shawn's mentor, Mr. Turner, the teacher he showed us in the picture of his photo album right before we got transported.

"Turner...Turner. He's not on here," Cory freaked out, looking at a list he held in his hands.

"What's that?" Riley asked, pointing to the list.

"It's a list of people Eric's warning us to look out for," replied Shawn. Knowing Eric, he probably just made up the names on the list.

"Really? You're going to listen to your brother? Are we missing something here?" I asked Cory, who wasn't even paying attention.

"What if he was so bad, Eric didn't want to tell me anything? What if he was just like Feeny? Only Feenier," Cory asked his best friend, completely ignoring my question.

"Teachers, the one thing here I am not afraid of. I haven't met one yet that I couldn't take down," Shawn bragged.

A man in his early thirties wearing one earring, black glasses, a black leather jacket while holding a motorcycle helmet walked past us. "Hey!" he greeted.

"Hey," we all said in unison. I instantly recognized the man as Mr. Turner, and I had a feeling so did Riley by the way she was smiling excitedly at me.

Cory pointed to Mr. Turner who had his back facing towards us. "That is Harley, I know it. That is Harley Keiner."

"Janitor Harley?" Riley whispered in my ear. I nodded my head. Well, it wasn't a surprise that Eric would warn Cory about Harley. Janitor Harley did tell us once he bullied Cory in his seventh grade year. Hopefully, he wouldn't hurt Riley or he would have to answer to me for sure.

"That guy's gotta be 30 years old," Shawn commented about Mr. Turner.

"He's a lifer," Cory explained. "I think I made a very good first impression." He began his walk up to Mr. Turner.

Riley was about to grab his arm, "Cory, don't-"

I stopped Riley from doing so. "Riley, let him do what he wants. I wanna see him make a _good first impression _on _Harley_."

Cory walked up to Turner, who was next to the phone booth. "Excuse me. Sir? My name's Cory Matthews and I want to be your friend."

"Cool," Turner nodded, not really interested.

As Riley and Shawn watched Cory making a fool out of himself in front of our new teacher, I took Topanga off to the side and asked her, "So how are you going to get Cory to like you?"

"I'm going to play hard to get, just like you said." Topanga bit her lip nervously. "Do you think it'll work?"

"Of course it'll work. Cory's gonna fall over heels for you in no time." _Eh, Riley will thank me later._

Topanga and I went back to join Riley and Shawn as they continued watching Cory make a fool out of himself in front of Mr. Turner.

"Yeah. I'll hold your coat for you, I'll stand in lunch line for you. I'll even do detention for you."

"Yeah, nice offer. Why don't you just do the homework?"

Cory chuckled nervously. "I'm not sure you want me doing your homework."

"I want all my students doing the homework."

Cory's mouth dropped, not catching on to what Turner was saying. "You're so mean they gave you students?"

"They give all the teachers students. I'm Jonathan Turner. You can call me Mister." The bell rung as Turner stood in front of his classroom. "You're late," he taunted as we groaned and walked in.

* * *

We all agreed to sit where would normally sit if we were in Mr. Feeny's sixth grade classroom. Except, we were not in his classroom anymore. At least that was over. I got the feeling neither Cory or Shawn knew Mr. Feeny was now the principal of John Adams. I decided to let it stay that way since I was craving to see the looks on their faces when they found out. Ah, I loved being evil.

I ended up having to push Shawn into his seat at the back row after he asked me if we could 'share a seat'. Turner sat on the edge of his front desk as he talked. "Okay, I'm here for homeroom. I'm here for English and I'm here anytime you just wanna talk."

Cory grinned. "Cool."

"Did I say you could talk?" Turner asked, standing next to Cory's chair.

"I thought so-"

Turner crossed his arms over his chest. "You trouble, Matthews? You the guy who's gonna bring down the new teacher?"

Cory sank in his chair, a little scared. "No, sir, that would be Shawn... and possibly Maya." _That little runt!_

"You little squealer!" I shouted at Cory.

Turner raised his eyebrow as he looked at me. "I think we've got our Maya. Now let's see... Shawn. Wait, don't tell me. Don't tell me." Turner walked to the back of the classroom, trying to find Shawn. "Now, if Shawn is real trouble, Shawn is really gonna try to avoid making eye contact with-" Turner leaned against a kid's desk next to Shawn. "Hi, Shawn."

"How ya doing?" Shawn asked, smiling nervously.

"I'm good. So, Shawn, buddy, you and Maya partners in crime?"

Shawn looked at me. "I like to think we are."

"But we're not," I insisted.

"Ooh, is there a little history between the two of you?" Mr. Turner asked as he headed to the front of the classroom.

"That's none of your concern sir," I said, trying to be as polite as possible without saying something I would regret. I wanted to start out fresh, without having to be in detention every day. "But Riley is my partner in crime," I said pointing to her who was sitting in front of me.

Riley turned to glare at me. "What is this? 'Single out your friends' day?" Riley always liked to talk in the middle of one of her dad's classes. Now that we were in 'Turner's world', she was turning into the shyest person ever.

"Actually it is Riley. Back to English, Maya, do you know anything about The Odyssey?" he asked holding up the book.

"Yes, I do," I said proudly.

"Yeah, besides that it's a book."

"No, I don't," I responded, with the same level of proud-ness.

"Okay, who knows what 'odyssey' means?" Like always, Topanga immediately raised up her hand.

Turner pointed to Topanga. "What's your name?"

"Topanga."

"Topanga," he repeated.

"It means a difficult journey," she explained smartly.

"Yes, it does. An epic journey. About a guy just trying to get home alive. In fantasy worlds, with characters who have these ancient notions, about loyalty and heroism."

"Yeah, who wants to read that?" Cory asked, obviously not caring about the book.

Turner glared at Cory. "Yeah, apparently you do."

* * *

Our first ever assignment in high school was to read 'The Odyssey' and an issue of 'X-Men'. Cory was supposed to lead the class discussion about the similarities and differences tomorrow. Then Cory whispered to us that Turner was 'Feeny with an earring'. I supposed that was true, but it didn't make me any more intimated by Turner.

After homeroom, the four of us were split up into different classes, which we could not believe. Riley and Shawn had Earth Science while Cory and I had American History. We sadly parted ways and I was about to make my way to the classroom until I realized Cory wasn't behind me. I turned around to find Cory frozen in his spot. I followed his gaze to realize he was staring at Harley Keiner!

Harley Keiner was wearing a leather jacket, a white shirt, and blue jeans. The way he talked, the way he acted reminded me of one of those characters from the movie _Grease. _But that wasn't the thing that most surprised me. It was that fact that he had _hair._

Anyway, Harley was standing by the boys' bathroom listening to who I assumed was one of his little minions about this being their senior year in high school... again.

I didn't have enough time to stop Cory from going over to Harley so he did. "Harley Keiner? How the heck are ya?"

Harley smirked. "How the heck am I? Kill him."

The little minion told the big minion while pointing at Cory, "Hey, look, it's the kid from when you were gay." The big minion's face fell into sadness so he entered the bathroom while the little minion followed behind.

"Look, Harley, I'll make this short and sweet-" Cory said before I stopped him.

"What are you up to Matthews?" I asked getting in between Harley and Cory.

Harley turned me around and pointed to me. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Maya Hart," I answered.

"Do I know you?"

I froze.

I turned my back toward him facing Cory while answering, "Pssh, no."

Harley grabbed me by the shoulder and turned me around again. "You seem awfully familiar. Were you in juvie?"

"No."

"Maya-" Cory whined. "I'm trying to make a deal here with Harley."

"What's your name, kid?" Harley asked, finally dropping his focus on me and more on Cory, which was in fact _not_ a good thing.

"Cory Matthews," Cory answered, not sounding confident at all.

Harley chuckled. "Nah, nah, nah. That's a poufy name. If ya wanna hang out with me, you gotta have a name that symbolizes fear and respect... I got it! Johnny... Baboon."

After hearing Harley say that, an imaginary window of revelation opened up for me.

_"Hey, and if you're going to your friend's house, tell Baboon I said hi."_

_I laughed. "Why do you call Mr. Matthews Baboon?" Harley shrugged._

_"Force of habit, I guess."_

That had happened only hours before Riley and I got transported. Now I understood why Harley began calling Cory 'Johnny Baboon', and if that wasn't enough, I witnessed the whole thing!

* * *

Okay, so to cut all of the boring stuff out of the way. One of the teachers caught the three of us talking in the halls while we were supposed to be in class. So much for my clean high school record. Riley was sure going to be disappointed in me...

We were all taken to the principal's office where I expected Mr. Feeny to be furious with me for getting into trouble on the very first day of school (when really, I did nothing wrong), but instead, witnessed a very hilarious and entertaining reaction from Cory when he found out Mr. Feeny was our principal.

"Breathe Matthews," I encouraged, patting Cory on the back. "Everything's going to be alright."

Cory turned to glare at me. "You knew about this before, didn't you Maya?"

I chuckled mockingly. "Of course I did. I live with the man."

Mr. Feeny got up from his comfy office chair and shook his head. "Actually Miss Hart, I haven't told you everything."

I raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "What are you talking about? You're the principal, what else is there?"

"Please check your schedule. Both of you," Mr. Feeny ordered. I looked down at the schedule I held in my hands. Second period: American History with Mr. Feeny. _Oh no...this can't be! This is a nightmare!_

My mouth hung open. "Mr. Feeny, why didn't you tell us you were also still our teacher?"

Cory, although shocked too, smirked. "Hurt, doesn't it?"

The bell rung. "You're late," Mr. Feeny taunted.

* * *

At lunch, as Cory and Shawn were buying their lunches, I found Riley jumping with excitement in her seat. I brought my lunch tray over to the table and sat down next to her. After Mr. Feeny pardoned us for getting into trouble by not giving us detention, Cory was pulled aside by Harley and was threatened a severe beating after school in front of the boys' bathroom. I had to warn Riley about this.

"What's happening Crazy?" I asked, using one of my many nicknames I had for her.

Riley hugged me. "Maya! I'm so glad you're here! Ain't high school great?"

I gave her a horrified look. "You're scaring me pumpkin. Didn't you hear about Cory and Harley? Harley's going to _cream_ your dad today after school. Your dad won't exist. Then you won't exist."

Nothing that I was saying was helping Riley see the real facts. "Mr. Feeny's the principal! What could possibly go wrong?"

I rolled my eyes, tired of hearing that Mr. Feeny could fix everything. "Everything Riles. Feeny can't stop this mess. He may be kind to us in the future, but right now, Harley's a bully. And he's looking for fresh meat every day."

The contagious grin fell off Riley's face. She now looked worried. "Oh, well you think he'd bully a girl?"

"I think we should just watch our backs around him. Especially you."

Riley scoffed. "Pssh, why me? You don't think I can take the big bad Harley Keiner?"

I tried to give her a serious look without breaking down and laughing. "I don't think you can take a hamster. Now listen, if he starts talking to you, just nod and smile, alright?"

"What are you gonna do?"

I shrugged. "Nothing. I can handle myself. You're the one who needs to be protected."

Riley looked hurt. "You don't think I can take care of myself?"

Thankfully, Cory and Shawn joined our table which froze up the conversation. I didn't want to answer her question. She had always been the plant that needed protection from the big bulldozer. I'd always been the one to protect her. Last thing I needed to hear was that she didn't need me protecting her anymore.

"Shawn, I'm freaking out! Do you think I should have bought macaroni and cheese instead of chicken?" Cory looked down at the chicken leg on his plate.

"Why does it matter?" asked Shawn.

"Because when Harley punches me and I puke on him, it'll leave a bigger mess."

"Nice thinking," I answered dryly.

"Why don't you ask your brother for help?" Shawn asked, pointing to Eric who was sitting at another table flirting with two girls.

"I signed that contract," Cory shook his head solemnly. Shawn got up and went to go talk to Eric while Cory went and causally stood next to the drinking fountain. I realized Riley was not talking to me but was eating her lunch with a sad but thoughtful expression on her face.

"Riley? Are you okay?"

"You don't think I can take care of myself?" she asked sternly this time.

"Riley-"

"Do you?"

"I... no, Riles. I don't," I responded sincerely.

Riley got up from her seat and walked out of the cafeteria. I got up to follow her but was stopped by Mr. Feeny at the cafeteria entrance.

"Going anywhere Miss Hart?"

"I need to go see if Riley's alright."

"You may go ahead. But first I want to get things clear with you Miss Hart. Once again you are my student and I am your teacher. We must forget about this fostering business when we are in school unless there is a situation that is brought up in which case I have to act as your legal guardian. Right now your first priority is to pay attention in class and do the homework. Do I make myself clear?"

I folded my arms over my chest. "And what happens if I don't do my homework?" I challenged.

"Then I have no choice but to do a little negotiation with you. I have a proposition Miss Hart, and I believe you will want to hear it."

"What is it?"

Mr. Feeny smiled. "I won't reveal it here. I'll inform you when we get home."

I turned my attention for a bit to see Shawn giggling like a little school girl in front of one of the girls Eric was flirting with. _Oh, things just keep getting better and better._

* * *

At five past three, Harley came out of the boys' bathroom exactly where he said he would meet Cory. I stood inside one of the lockers to make sure Cory wouldn't get hurt, except he didn't know that I was there for backup.

Up to then, I hadn't seen or heard from Riley since she stormed out of the cafeteria at lunch. I just prayed she didn't go and do something stupid, but I had to make sure her father lived to see tomorrow, or there would be a real problem for sure.

In the locker right next to me, I heard some lip smacking and moaning. _Big lockers in high school, _I thought to myself_, as _I waited for anything brutal or fatal to occur between the Cory or Harley. They mostly talked until Eric showed up to defend his brother which I was very surprised about.

"Well, how sweet," Harley said while rubbing his hands together before charging toward the two Matthews brothers. "A chance to wipe out the whole Baboon family."

Turner showed up to stop the fight. I let out a sigh of relief. After Turner and Eric left, Riley unexpectedly showed up and put herself in front of Harley.

"Riley, what are you doing? The fight's over!" Cory said, trying to push Riley out of Harley's way.

"No. Leave me alone Cory. I have to prove to Maya that I can take care of myself." She turned herself back to face Harley. "Go ahead Keiner, throw me your best punch."

Harley sort of stood there, a little shocked but mostly annoyed. "Are you serious? Ya want me to beat you up? Ya know, most seventh graders run from me." I noticed the way Harley was slowly walking closer to Riley, and not a sign of fear appeared in her face. However, I knew I had to stop this.

I jumped out of the locker I was hiding in, scaring Cory in the process. Everybody stopped and turned to me. "Don't do this Riley. I might have thought of you as the plant that needed to be protected from the bulldozer, but the truth is now you need to be protected because you're my friend. My _best _friend, and I'll always have your back Riles."

Riley smiled at me. Before she was about to come running to hug me, Harley grabbed her by the sleeve of her shirt. "As I was about to say before I was rudely interrupted by Blondie, most seventh graders run from me, therefore it takes guts to do what you just did."

Riley smiled nervously. "T-thank you?"

Harley grinned. "Don't mention it. Now if you dare to ever do that again, we're going to have a serious problem. Got that?"

Riley nodded.

"Alright. What's your name kid?"

"Riley Matthews."

"Nah, that's a girly name. For now on you're Sandy...Baboon."

After Harley left, Riley came to join Cory and me by the lockers. "Baboon? Why does that sound so familiar?"

I pointed to Cory. "He's Johnny Baboon."

Cory smirked at Riley. "I guess you're Mrs. Baboon."

Riley playfully punched Cory in the arm to hide her nervousness. "Ha, ha, funny. But I prefer to be thought of as your annoying sister Baboon."

"Does it matter what we're thought of? We're the misfits of the seventh grade!" I joked with Riley.

Cory opened the locker next to the one I was hiding in and said, "Shawn! You can come out now. Fight's over. Our high school reputations are set." I peeked over to see Shawn was inside the locker with a blonde girl. I recognized her as one of the girls who Eric was flirting with at lunch! Ew, she had to be at _least _sixteen.

_Oh, so that's where all the lip smacking and moaning was coming from._

"I'm still working on mine," Shawn smirked closing the locker shut to remain making out with the blonde.

"Big lockers in high school," Cory stated, also smirking before walking away with Riley. After they left, I reopened the locker and pulled Shawn out by the ear.

The blonde chick whined, "Shawn! We're not finished!"

"Sorry," I faked a smile. "Shawn's gotta go home to his mommy so that she can read him a bedtime story," I said in a baby-voice before slamming the locker shut with the girl still inside the locker. I still held Shawn tightly by the ear and dragged him through the hallway.

"Ow! Maya, my ear!"

"Quite whining Hunter."

Shawn flashed me one of his charming smiles once I let go of his ear. "Admit it. You're jealous. You love me Maya."

I rolled my eyes. "Pssh! You wish."

* * *

**Author's Note: So what's Feeny up to? What's the proposition he wants to make with Maya? All will be answered soon! I've got lots of things to talk about now. While I was on my hiatus, I was able to come up with more ideas for stuff I can do for you guys. One of them was to create a comic strip for each chapter. It took me a whole day to create 5 comic strips and those are the ones that are already posted in my profile. It will take me a few months to finally get them all done so I'll keep you updated on that. Whew! So much work! Okay, so while on my break, I started coming up with new ideas for other stories.**

**I've got:**

**1\. Seven Years in the Nineties (which will obviously have a lot more chapters),**

**2\. Home is the Hart for the Holidays (which I've decided to open up again and continue writing chapters for that story, yay!),**

**3\. If I Were a Boy (from the Stand By Me archive which will also contain lots of chapters, it's a love and mystery story all wrapped up in one),**

**4\. Desires of the Soul (for those of you who have read Flowers in the Attic, but it will be based on modern time and it will be completely different from the books),**

**5\. The Passing of the LiAr Torch (for any of you who love Pretty Little Liars as much as I do, summary on my profile)**

**6\. The Return of the Mighty (from the archive Freak the Mighty, which isn't very popular but it's extremely important to me. It was the book that inspired me to become a writer. The Return of the Mighty was the VERY FIRST THING I ever wrote in my life. I still keep the draft which took me four months to complete three years ago and I have decided to revise that and publish it on Fanfiction :)**

**7\. The In-Crowd (for those of you who cried while reading The Outsiders, and if you haven't read it, you did not have a good English class, it's going to be about Scarlet Carson, a fictional character I came up with 3 years ago but have never officially used her in a story, and how being a Soc changes her life when she meets the gang. It's based off a book I tried to write a few years ago but failed miserably because of writer's block lol. Another love story you don't want to miss!)**

**You know, I should be taking these hiatuses more often, they let me have great ideas! (just kidding!) Lol, but seriously, I will take a hiatus every time I end a season. Depending on what's going on in my life during the ending of every season will dictate the duration of my hiatuses. Who knows? I may only need a week to get started on the next season, or maybe even two months. This time it happened to coincide with my exams so I decided to give myself a break. I think I earned it. I better warn you now though, since I know this story will take more than a year for me to finish, there may be a chance that I will go away for two months after I've graduated from high school next year where there is no internet whatsoever. Lol, almost sounds like I'm going to a deserted island somewhere where I'm never going to be found, but that's not the case. I'm going to go visit my mom's family in another country and we don't have internet. Perhaps then I will have to take a two month hiatus. Believe me, it's going to KILL me. But I'll still find a way to write chapters and publish them when I get back. We've still got a year and a half till that happens. Who knows what will happen by then?**

**Well, anyway, I've managed to come up with seven stories! Remember only a few months ago when I did not have a clue about what else I should write about? But now I do! And I will stick by them just like I have with this one. This will really keep me occupied for about seven years. Remember, _seven_ is the golden number in this case, haha get it?**

**P.S- Don't forget to check out my Q&amp;A Tumblr blog linked on my profile for this chapter! See ya! :)**

**Quote of the week:**

"We are lowly, 7th grade sewer scum who name rats after ourselves to feel important." **-Cory Matthews**

**-Mimi1239**


	21. Mixed Messages

**Second chapter of season 2! Here we will find out how Topanga plans on winning our beloved and confused Cory's heart. Then how Riley reacts to it. It's pretty funny. A lot of Corpanga, a bit of Riley's new love interest, and just a tiny bit of Shaya (yeah, new ship name). So as you all probably heard by now (hopefully), the website was acting a little weird and wasn't letting anyone access their accounts. I wasn't even finished yet when this started happening so I apologize that this is coming later than usual. Well, I'm only 2 hours behind really. On the bright side, the website it working now!**

**Again, I can't thank you guys enough for all of the support in the world! You've really helped me grow as a writer, and as I am sitting here in my new Health Care class (I obviously wrote this a few days ago) I can't seen to get out of my mind all of the things I really want to tell you guys. First off, I am at the point in my life where everything I do is starting to become my own responsibility. I am growing as an individual and becoming an adult. I know right? Scary. My parents want me to decide what I want to be in the future. I've heard this a million times, yet I can't make up my mind. Sorry if my chapters in anyway start to become rushed or not as long but I try to manage my time well by stretching out the time I write one chapter. It takes me a few days just to write one, imagine that! But I made a commitment to myself a long time ago, and I'm sticking to it. I've always wanted to read a story like the one I am writing, and so I'm glad to make you feel the joy and excitement I always got from reading fanfics. I'd like to give a shout-out to those who reviewed my previous chapter: HK, Guest, jenna323.m, hml1999, Esthernight, HoneyLemon7, MonicaGB, dobegirl15, Emma, Alyssa, Pebblemist of LightClan, Ali6132, L.H, Guest, Girlmeetsworld1876, mrs peeta mellark 2.0, Liseegirl, Wafflelover98, Kingofclubs129, Glee Clue Rock1251, stephanie, Nat-Marie, LoveShipper, and lilLaine02.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

Riley's Point of View

**_Wednesday, September, 7th 1994, Philadelphia_**

**_Past time, 8:30 A.M_**

I've been in high school for one and a half days and already I've been assigned so much homework. Especially in Mr. Feeny's class, but I didn't mind doing it as usual, however, I was worried about Maya.

I stood next to Maya by the lockers as she observed couples holding hands and making out. "So, what do you wanna do after school?" I asked.

No answer...

"Maya?" I waved a hand in front of her face. "Hello? Earth to Maya?" I had to snap my fingers in her face before she could respond.

"What?" she asked, as if she was just waking up from a daze.

I gave her a concerned look. "Is something wrong Maya? You've been staring at those couples for like ten minutes!"

She simply shrugged her shoulders. "You wouldn't understand."

"Of course I would understand! Why won't you tell me?"

Maya looked away. "Because then you'd be mad at me."

I decided to leave that matter alone for a while. If something was going on with Maya, I would eventually find out what it was. If she wouldn't tell me, I would find out some other way. _The truth always has a way of coming out..._

Dad once told me I was too young to know about love. I remembered one time when Lucas asked me if I had wanted to study over at his house and dad began the interrogation as soon as we got home.

_"Mom!" I shouted slamming the front door in frustration. Dad came in and then slammed the door shut as well._

_"Mom!" he also shouted._

_Mom rolled her eyes. "What's wrong now?"_

_"Lucas invited me over to his house today and Dad doesn't wanna let me go!"_

_"Topanga, she's too young to be going over to boys' houses. She should be studying here at home."_

_Mom chuckled, "But Cory, I used to go to your house all the time. Remember when we were eleven-" Dad cut her off._

_"That's not the point. This is different."_

_I was taken aback by this comment. "Well what's so different between Lucas and me with you guys?"_

_Dad shook his head. "It's not about the people, it's about the time period."_

_I furrowed my eyebrows. "What?"_

_"When I was your age, we did not have cellphones or social media."_

_I still didn't get it. "So what does that have to do with me going over to Lucas' house?"_

_Dad put his hand on my shoulder, trying to show comfort of some sort. "A lot of things. Maybe you'll understand some day when you're older."_

Maybe I'll understand someday when I'm older... I guess I was older now. I could kind of now see what my dad was talking about when he said the nineties were a different time than what I was growing up in. Okay, so I guess that meant I was also too young to be a princess, because princesses get what they want. At least I wasn't too young or too old to be in the meddling business, especially when it came to fixing up my parents together.

The first bell woke me up from my daze. I locked arms with Maya as we skipped to homeroom, where we were greeted by Cory and Shawn as we sat in our normal seats. Mr. Turner got up from his desk, and just when he was about to start the class, a knock on the door interrupted the beginning of the lecture.

I swiftly turned around in my seat curiously to see who was at the door just as everybody in the class did as well. A blond kid with slightly long hair stood at the door with his head down, looking at a piece of paper with uncertainty. The kid looked up and I immediately recognized him as Ricky, Nurse Millar's assistant from the orphanage! His eyes met mine for a second, and he smiled warmly.

"Uh, is this Mr. Turner's homeroom English class?" Ricky asked.

"If that's what it says on your schedule. Have a seat, anywhere that isn't taken," Mr. Turner responded in his usual cool manner. I looked toward the seat in front of me that was empty. I guess Ricky was looking there too because that's where he sat down. My heart was suddenly pounding as I looked over at Maya, and she gave me a look that said, _"Stay cool kid."_

* * *

Toward the end of the class, Ricky turned to me as I was writing down the homework.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi," I greeted back, smiling. "What are you doing at this school?"

Ricky furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"I thought that- never mind." I quickly caught myself before saying something bad.

Ricky's grin only grew wider. "You thought that because Martha used to come here, and because of what happened to her, none of the other orphans are allowed to come here?" he guessed.

I smiled sheepishly. "Maybe."

"Well, I was glad they accepted me here. It's the closest high school from the orphanage. If they didn't, I would have to walk for at least an hour to Einstein Academy."

Now it was my turn to be confused. "Wait, wouldn't you have to take the bus?"

Ricky chuckled. "Are you kidding? After what happened with little Matilda last year, none of the orphans are allowed to ride the bus. Nurse Millar's rules."

"Oh," I said, feeling a little guilty since I still believed, after almost a whole year, that it was partially my fault. "I'm sorry-"

"Hey Romeo, Juliet. You can mingle with each other after class, okay?" Mr. Turner said, making everybody in the class laugh in the process, all except me, who turned immediately beat red.

* * *

I was tempted to stuff myself in my locker from embarrassment after class, but decided otherwise since Ricky followed me to my locker, and opened his locker two lockers down from mine!

"Hey, I guess we're locker neighbors," he said smiling at me again as he got his books out of his locker. "I'm so glad you and Maya were able to find a good home. Martha was insane from the beginning. We found her hysterical after the incident. She kept saying crazy stuff like that you and Maya were from the future."

I chuckled nervously. "That's... crazy. And obviously not true!" I wanted to change the conversation now. "So, what's your next class?"

"History," he responded analyzing his schedule.

"With Mr. Feeny."

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"I have him too."

We walked to History class together. Ricky chose to sit in front of me like in Mr. Turner's class. He turned around in his seat to me.

"Do you have a pencil I can borrow? I left mine in my locker." I handed him my extra pencil I always kept for emergencies. "I'll give this back to you, I promise."

I shrugged. "It's just a pencil, you can keep it if you want."

"Thanks," he smiled once again, making my heart sink.

* * *

"What is it about a boy's smile that makes girls melt?" I asked Maya as we stood next to our lockers after lunch. My head was leaning against my locker as Maya concentrated on the couples in the halls.

"I don't know. Do you like Ricky?"

I nervously giggled. "But 'like' is such a strong word. How do I know if I like him?"

"Well, for one thing, he makes you melt. That definitely means you have a crush on him. Now if you 'like' him, that's a whole different story. And also another problem to add to our list."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "Why would that be a problem for us if I like Ricky?"

Maya gave me a look as if to say, _"Really? Haven't we've been over this a million times before?"_

"So what you're saying is that I should keep my distance from Ricky, in case we really do get sent back to the future?" I whispered the last part, since I spotted Cory and Shawn coming out of the cafeteria and walking towards us.

"Pretty much," Maya responded.

I sighed in frustration. "How are you so much wiser than me?" Maya simply shrugged with a smile on her face.

"Richard and Cindy?" Cory asked in amazement as a couple started making out right in front of us.

"Very deeply in love," Maya and Shawn said simultaneously. They looked at each other. Shawn smirked while Maya glared at him.

"Since when?" Cory wondered.

"Lunch," Maya and Shawn responded at the same time again.

"Stop saying what I'm saying Hunter!" Maya said, clearly irritated by how in-sync they both were.

"Face it Maya, our minds think alike. Wouldn't we be great together?"

Maya gave him a soured look. "I pity the girl you'll end up with."

"Hey, don't feel sorry for yourself," Shawn joked.

Maya scoffed and stuck her tongue out at him immaturely. I stood in between them like a referee would during a fight at a soccer game. Meanwhile, Cory was oblivious to this whole matter and kept staring in wonder at the couple shoving their tongues down each other's throats.

"What did they eat?"

Shawn shrugged. "I don't know, but it doesn't look like it was enough."

Mr. Feeny spotted us still in the halls and walked up to us. "Don't we have classes to attend?"

I pointed to Richard and Cindy. "Mr. Feeny, shouldn't you break them up or hose them down or something?"

Mr. Feeny smiled sympathetically and shook his head. "Oh, I wouldn't interrupt their tryst, Miss Matthews. They're both A-minus students and happily struck by Cupid."

"So, if they were C-minus students, you wouldn't let them kiss?" Cory asked, cutting into the conversation.

"School policy, don't you know," Mr. Feeny answered sarcastically.

"So I can't kiss?" asked Cory.

"With your grades, Mr. Matthews, you can't even shake hands." Maya and I giggled at Mr. Feeny's smart remark.

"Just watch, Mr. Feeny. By the end of the year, I plan to have an A-plus average and a hickey," Cory said, smirking.

"And I think I know exactly who's going to give him that hickey," I whispered in Maya's ear discreetly, referring to of course, Topanga.

"Dare to dream, Mr. Matthews." A smug look appeared on Mr. Feeny's face before he left.

"Holy cow!" Cory said, which made me pay attention to what he was so amazed about. Another couple across the room started making out. "Jerry and Shoshanna?"

Shawn nodded. "Deeply."

"Has the whole world paired off?" Cory wondered.

"Pretty much." his best friend answered.

"Is there a list posted somewhere where I find out what girl's been assigned to me?"

"You want a girlfriend?" Maya smirked.

"No, not a girlfriend," Cory quickly corrected. "Just a girl who's like a friend, but not a girlfriend."

A girl with shiny blonde hair walked past us. Shawn nodded towards her way. "How about her? How about the new girl?"

"Absolutely not!" I said. "Cory doesn't want just any random girl, right... Cor?" I asked awkwardly, using Shawn's nickname for him.

Cory sighed. "Look, I want someone I know, someone who knows me, someone who we know each other, someone like, uh..." Cory looked up just in time to see Topanga walking down the stairs. "Topanga! Topanga, my honey. May I call you honey?"

"No." Topanga answered. _Okay, I wasn't expecting that..._

Cory smirked. "Topanga, my girl... my friend... my girly friend. Believe me, I don't want this any more than you do, but everybody around here is pairing off, and I think you and I should spare ourselves a lot of uncoolness and walk through life together."

"This is it!" I whispered, nudging Maya. "This is when my parents _finally _get together."

"Cory, my dear little butthead May I call you butthead?" Topanga mocked.

"Sure."

"I can't walk through life with you."

"What?" I said, maybe sounding a little too loud because the whole hallway turned their attention toward me, including my parents.

"Nothing to see here," Maya said, and everybody turned back to their own conversations.

"Is there someone else?" Cory asked.

"There's everybody else," Topanga said, and I could feel my heart tearing apart slowly inside.

"Why? We're already standing together, and we look great," Cory said, swinging his arm around Topanga and smiling cheerfully. Topanga wasn't looking too happy.

"Yep! You look absolutely cute together! Like those miniature people on top of the wedding cake. You're so meant to be together forever. Right Maya?" I turned to give Maya a pleading look.

Maya clutched her teeth together. "Way to be discreet Riley."

"Cory," Topanga said, taking Cory's arm off of her shoulder. "When guys and girls go out, first they fall passionately in love. Then, after a week, they hate each other. So for one great passionate week, we'd lose a friendship that could last a lifetime."

Cory smiled. "I'm in if you are."

"Cory, don't worry," Topanga said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure there's someone out there for you." Then, to my despair, she walked away.

"Gimme a name!" Cory shouted out to her. Then he turned and smiled at me.

"I've gotta go," Maya said, quickly leaving me with Cory and Shawn.

"Please don't look at me Cory. There _is_ a girl out there for you, and she just rejected you," I said, before following Maya down the halls. "I have to find out why my mom rejected my dad. I mean, she told us she liked him, right? I didn't just imagine that, right Maya?"

Maya stopped in mid-tracks. "Of course you didn't Riley. But your parents have to come together naturally. You can't force eternal love together."

"Wow." I stared at her in amazement. "I never knew you were so wise Maya."

She shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal. "I've been around Feeny for too long. But back to the point, you really got to let your parents discover their own feelings for each other."

"How long have you known me Maya? Since forever? When have I not tried to fix things?"

"You're right. I can't remember when you haven't tried to fix things. But I think it's time you find another hobby, please," she begged.

"Why Maya? What if this master plan of mine works?"

"Because... you'll only be causing more trouble for all of us."

* * *

_Okay, so Maya was acting really weird. And that was starting to worry me. Why wouldn't she want me to put my parents together? She must know something's wrong, well I was going to find out from Topanga anyway._

Our next class after lunch was Health. Apparently our the teacher was sick, which was ironic. A curly, tall, brunette woman walked into the classroom. Shawn couldn't keep his eyes off of her.

"Wow. That is no substitute. That is the real thing," he said, moving himself to the front of the classroom, sitting directly in front of the substitute teacher.

"Good afternoon, class. I'm Miss Kelly, and I'll be filling in for Mr. Dubin for the next few days," she introduced herself. Shawn spontaneously stood up.

"On behalf of the entire class, I'd like to say stay as long as you like," he smiled charmingly at her. I could hear Maya scoff behind me.

Miss Kelly seemed to be unimpressed by Shawn's suddenly welcoming, but smiled politely anyway. She took out a folder and read off the lesson plan. "Now, right now, you seem to be covering-"

"CPR, and I'm today's dummy," Shawn said.

"Pssh," Maya scoffed. "Please, my pet ferret can flirt better than you Hunter." The classroom roared in laughter. Hey, even I had to laugh. Shawn turned beat red.

Miss Kelly pretended like she didn't hear that comment from Maya. "No, actually, we seem to be up to human reproduction, which I hope we can discuss in a mature fashion," she looked directly at Shawn. The class snickered. To block out any unnecessary stuff, Shawn just pretended to be older and told Miss Kelly that he was a cop, which she obviously didn't believe.

"All right, who can tell us the name of the organ where the eggs are stored? Officer?" Miss Kelly asked Shawn.

Shawn smirked. "Oh, sorry, Miss Kelly. I don't have that stuff. I can name the stuff I have... Or at least what I call them."

Miss Kelly pointed to me. "All right, the name of the place where the eggs are stored."

"Uh, what are the gonads?" I answered, obviously unsure.

"No, sorry sweetie. I was looking for, what are the ovaries?"

"Oh, the- oh yeah, I always mix those two up," I lied.

Miss Kelly pointed to Cory. "Can you tell us anything about ovulation or how pregnancy occurs?"

Then Cory began to ramble off. "Well, the man's got the sperm, and the woman's got the egg. Now, once a month, an egg slides down the Philippine tube towards the uterus. The first sperm to reach the egg wins, it gets a medal, it's born, you name him Cory, you push him out the door, and nothing makes sense for the rest of his life."

Miss Kelly smiled. "Congratulations. You seem to have a thorough understanding of the life cycle."

Cory smiled back. "Hey, I live it."

"Any questions?" Miss Kelly asked the class. Cory put up his hand. "Yes?"

He motioned for her to get closer, and then I caught him whispering, "How do you get a girl to say hi?"

_Now I really had something to worry about._

* * *

After class, Cory, Shawn, and I were hanging around our lockers when a couple past by us. And as usual, Cory just had to stare in awe. "Michael and Lisa Marie?"

Shawn nodded his head. "Looks like it."

"Since when?"

"Just now. That was it."

Cory raised an eyebrow. "What, that?"

Shawn nodded. "Yeah. You saw it happen."

Cory threw his hands in the air in defeat. "I can't believe it. I saw it happen, and I still don't know how it happens."

Shawn put a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "Stop obsessing, man. You're gonna pop a lobe."

"I'm the only one who doesn't know how it's done."

"Why do you care so much about having a girlfriend Cory? You never seemed to care before? I mean, remember when Topanga came over to your house to work on that environment assignment and you didn't want her to?" I asked. Cory just looked at me strangely.

"I was eleven then. I've grown. I've matured."

"Well, you've certainly aged a year, but let's not exaggerate with mature." Cory agreed.

Shawn nudged Cory. "Listen, I think I found something that kind of works."

"What?" asked Cory, eagerly.

"This," Shawn said, jerking his head back, and in the process, flipping his hair back as well.

"That's not going to work-" I was about to say before being interrupted by a girl passing by.

"Hi, Shawn," she giggled and waved at Shawn. He waved back.

"Wow. From across the hall," Cory said, seemingly impressed by his best friend's super power.

"Yep, I got a 30-foot range," Shawn bragged.

"What, you just jerk your head?" I asked.

"Watch again young ones. I'm still young enough, I can do this twice in a row," he said flipping his hair back with his hand just as Maya passed by. She came directly toward Shawn as he did that.

"Shawn, it's so strange. I was just thinking about you," she said smiling flirtatiously. My jaw completely dropped. _What was happening here?!_

Shawn's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Really? You really mean that?" he asked.

"No," Maya answered flatly. "But those girls over there are thinking about you." Maya pointed to a bunch of desperate girls right by the water fountain who immediately smiled, waved, and winked right when Shawn turned to look at them. "They payed me five bucks each just so that I can introduce you to them. Isn't that great? I mean we can like go on a business together."

Shawn smirked, seemingly unconvinced. "So you're not thinking about me at all?"

"Well now I am."

"What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking... that your super power doesn't work on me. Now let's go!" she said, dragging Shawn to the desperate girls.

Cory started trying Shawn's method, which may have looked like he was hurting himself because he was trying too hard to make his curly hair move. "Cory, what is it?" Topanga asked, running toward Cory with a concerned look on her face.

"You were just drawn to me, weren't you?"

"No, I thought you had head lice. Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm great," Cory answered, although he had a disappointed look on his face.

"Oh, good," Topanga said, flipping her waist-length hair back over her shoulder.

"Hi, Topanga. I was just thinking about you," a random boy said walking up to Topanga. She locked arms with him, and before they were about to leave, I stood in front of them.

"Wait, Topanga. Um, before you go off skipping happily into the sunset with this boy who nobody's ever seen before, I need to talk to you. It's about that _thing_ you told Maya and me that you told us to promise never to tell Cory because, well, it's about _him_." _Yeah, being discreet was not one of my strong points. _But at least that got her attention.

"Robert, I'll see you later okay?" Topanga said to the boy.

He just shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever," and then walked away. Topanga and I took a walk down the hallway, kind of like how Maya and I did before.

"So, what do you need to ask me about Cory?" Topanga asked.

"Well, I just wanted to know why you dumped him. I mean, he _clearly _likes you. He literally asked you to walk through life together with him! Why didn't you accept?"

Topanga stopped in her tracks and looked down at the floor. She sighed before looking up to meet my eyes, "Maya thought it would be best if I played hard-to-get. You know, guys like Cory like girls like that."

My mouth hung open. "Are you kidding? Guys like Cory like girls like you Topanga. If you don't tell him you like him, everything is going to change. He's going to find another girl to date."

Topanga pointed to a nervous Cory seemingly asking out the new girl, Wendy. "Looks like he already did," she said sadly. "Thanks for trying to help Riley, but maybe it was not meant to be."

"Of course it was meant to be! How do you know that he's asking her out? Maybe she's asking him directions to her classroom, I mean she is a new student after all."

I spoke too soon, because Wendy smiled and wrote down her number on a piece of paper, handed it to Cory, then pecked him on the cheek. I winced.

"It's alright, I'll get over it Riley."

"But you can't! How did you guess he was asking her out?" I asked.

Topanga shrugged. "Woman's Network, I guess. You probably won't understand. I'll explain it to you later," she reassured. I blocked out the rest Topanga was saying to me, because all I could think was, _I'm going to kill Maya._

* * *

I couldn't find Maya all day. She skipped the rest of the classes and so I thought I had no choice but to wait until she'd come home. Big mistake, because I ended up falling asleep at my curfew which was at eight o'clock, so I didn't get a chance to talk to Maya until I woke up in the morning.

"Maya? We need to talk?" I said, trying to shake Maya awake.

"Mmm, five more minutes Mom," moaned Maya.

"Maya! You're not at home with your mother. You're with me right now. Please stop pretending you're actually asleep. I can tell when you're faking it." Maya groaned and opened her eyes.

"Listen Riles, before you say anything, I just want you to know that I did everything I did because I wanted to help."

"So you went behind my back and told my mom to reject my dad? Maya, this could have been our one chance to get my parents together. Maybe if they would have gotten together, it would have helped us get back to the future or something like that."

Maya's eyes widened. "Do you think that would have worked?"

I sat on my bed, slumped. "Well now we'll never know."

"What do you mean?"

"Cory's dating the new girl Wendy. If it all goes well, she can be my new mom!"

Maya sat down next to me and hugged me. "Riley, you know how much I love you, but if you don't let your parents work this out, nothing will ever get accomplished."

I shook my head and scoffed. "Easy for you to say."

* * *

I was sitting on the doorstep of Mr. Feeny's garden on a Friday night with my elbows on my lap, my chin resting on my hands, as I waited for Cory to come back from his date. In the meantime, I thought about everything that was going on, especially in the last couple of days. I still couldn't believe my mom rejected my dad, and the fact that I was waiting for my dad to come back from his date to ask him how it went, was even more messed up.

In only mere days, it would be a whole year since the last time I saw my real parents. The ones who told me what to do all the time, fed, and clothed me. The Cory and Topanga my age were not my parents. They were my friends. It was almost hard to believe how much time I'd already spent away from home. I almost couldn't remember why I had gotten so upset with them. It was a pointless fight really, now that I thought long and hard about it. All that I was sure of now, was that I really missed them.

Suddenly, a shadowy figure walking into the patio. I looked up to see it was Ricky.

"Hi," I greeted in surprise, standing up from the doorstep. "How'd you know where I live?"

And there it was, Ricky's smile. "Nurse Millar told me. I came to drop off your pencil," he said, sticking out his arm to hand me back my pencil. I took it from his hand, my hand slightly brushing against his.

I had a cheeky grin on my face. "You didn't have to do that."

"I know. I just wanted to see you. Are you waiting for somebody?"

I looked around and shrugged. "Uh, not really I guess. Just came out here to think."

He nodded understandingly. "Well, thinking's always good... um, so I'll see you around Riley." Ricky said, beginning to walk back out into the street. Then he paused, turned around, and made his way back to me. "Riley?"

"Yeah?" I asked, kind of hoping he would do what I hoped he was thinking.

"Thanks for the pencil."

"Oh," I said, feeling a little disappointed. "No problem."

Ricky looked down at his shoes. "It's funny what Mr. Turner called us today, Romeo and Juliet."

I looked down at my own shoes too and blushed. "Oh yeah. Mr. Turner sure loves his Shakespeare. It's nonsense. You'll get used to it."

Ricky smiled sheepishly. "I don't think it's nonsense. Goodnight Riley," he said, leaning over and gently planted a kiss on my cheek. His eyes slightly widened. So did mine, and before I could say anything, he quickly walked away. I was now flustered. _Did that just really happen? Did he really kiss me?_

"Hey Riley. What are you doing outside?" Cory asked, as he came into the patio the same way Ricky did. It took me a few seconds to regain myself before I could answer.

"Uh, nothing. So, how was your date?"

"I had a nice time," Cory responded, smiling.

"Great," I lied. "Were you nervous?"

"Yep, and I nodded a lot. We're going out again soon."

"Perfect," I lied again. _Oh no._

* * *

I went upstairs to my room and saw Maya was lying on her bed twirling her thumbs.

"Well thanks to you, my dad's probably going to get married to Wendy," I said sarcastically propping myself onto my bed. Mr. Feeny was downstairs making dinner so he couldn't hear us.

"Well hello to you too Riles," Maya said. "Are you ever going to forgive me? I was just trying to help."

I nodded. "Yeah, maybe someday Maya, when my parents start dating, _if _they do thanks to you."

Maya rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Seriously? Of course they're going to get together. They're your parents. They're _Cory _and _Topanga_." She paused and stared at me suspiciously. "Wait, did Ricky come by?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Well first off, you have that lovey-dovey look you only had when you were around Lucas and second, you're holding the pencil you let him borrow in History."

"Oh," I said, putting the pencil on top of my desk, chuckling awkwardly. "You're good."

"That's what makes me one of the greatest. Now please tell me there's nothing going on between you too."

I scoffed nervously. "Pssh, nothing's going on between Ricky and me. That's crazy."

Maya gave me a serious look. "You promise? Nothing happened when he came over?"

I tried my hardest to give her a straight face. "I promise. Nothing happened," I lied. Yes, I know. I had just lied to my best friend about getting my first kiss. I was really starting to like Ricky. If we weren't going back to the future, I wanted to at least live a normal life. That wasn't so bad, right?

Then why was I feeling so awful?

* * *

**Author's Note: I put up a schedule on my profile I made during school hours on my first day of semester 2 because there was a big snowstorm where I am from and because they never cancel school even when half of the students aren't able to come to school, I had nothing better to do than to spend my time in the library making up a schedule for all of my updates. My next round of exams are in June and I know I'll have four independent study units which are worth 10% of my final marks for each class which I know I'll need a lot of time to do that so I'll probably take a month-long hiatus in June too. But don't worry, we still have 17 chapters left to go! (not including this one of course). I think I'm getting better at managing my schedule. Also, I have to read _The Great Gatsby _for English class. Has anybody read it before? lol. Oh right, and thanks for the 400 REVIEWS! I also wanted to make it clear that if you review my story, it has to be related to my story. Just sayin'.**

**I'm already writing scenes for the last chapter of season 2. Crazy right? Not that I'm done writing the rest of the season, but ideas started popping into my head that I just couldn't help but write down! You guys are sure in for a treat! It'll be one of the most emotional chapters of the story for sure! Whelp, see you all next week with Maya's POV!**

**P.S- Don't forget to check out my Q&amp;A Tumblr blogs linked on my profile for this chapter! One more thing, can you believe Angela and Ghost Chet are coming back in season 2? I am soooo EXCITED!**

**Quote of the week:**

"It was one of those nights. You know the kind. Like day- but darker."** -Eric Matthews**

**-Mimi1239**


	22. Piano Girl

**You guys do not know how much I look forward to Sundays. Sometimes I stay up very late on a Saturday night just to finish writing a chapter because I love waking up on Sunday mornings getting like 10 emails saying that I've already gotten reviews. It's almost like waking up on Christmas morning for me when that happens (but sometimes I'm too tired to stay up late finishing my chapter). It's my present from you guys. So please don't think I enjoy the hiatuses that I will take, because that actually means extra work for me to study and later catch up on my writing.**

**Lol, okay now let's talk about this chapter. This is a very significant chapter in my story, and also a very important one to me because although I have no idea how to play the piano, I enjoy music a lot and playing an instrument has really helped me see the point of view that a musician has. This chapter takes place during _Notorious _and will create some problems for Maya and Mr. Feeny. And since I know you guys LOVE Shaya, there will be a lot of drama between them as well. I know what you're thinking, (they better kiss in this chapter). I don't know, maybe they do, maybe they don't (most likely don't lol). But they come very close to kissing and that scene was probably the hardest part to write. I wanted to get it perfect. ****So read on!**

**Also, a very delicate topic for Shawn that was brought up very briefly in season 1 will be brought up again in this chapter. A trailer park scene, and even Chet! So without further a due, I'd like to give a shout-out to those who reviewed my last chapter: Emma, L.H, mrs peeta mellark 2.0, dobegirl15, Pebblemist of LightClan, Guest, jenna323.m, Esthernight, jacob o, Girlmeetsworld1876, Ali6132, stephanie, MonicaGB, stephanieeeee, Glee Clue Rock 1251, Teenage life of laziness, Liseegirl, LoveShipper, TheMediaKiller, Kingofclubs8129, and Waffleslover98.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

Maya's Point of View

_**Tuesday, September 13th, 1994, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 4:01 P.M**_

I was stuck at home after school in my room. I had nothing better to do since Riley was at the library with Ricky working on project they had together, and Cory and Shawn were still at school working on the same project. I was partnered up with Topanga, and she told me she would do all the work. I regretted letting her do it afterward, because I found myself being bored out of my mind stuck in my room with Mr. Feeny downstairs playing the piano.

For some reason, piano music always calmed my nerves, so I didn't mind that Mr. Feeny was playing. Without Riley's knowing of course, I took out the photo album we kept hidden in our underwear drawer and flipped through the pages until I found an article written on Mr. Feeny. I was shocked to see the headline read, "New Principal is Weeny". This was probably something of Shawn's doing, and I was right. Next to the article, Shawn wrote,_ "I will never forget the time Cory took the fault for something I did. He really is a good friend."_

I shut the photo album close when I heard a knock on the door. I hid the album back inside the drawer and opened the door to see Mr. Feeny standing on the opposite end.

"I'm not doing anything bad if that's what you're thinking Mr. Feeny."

Mr. Feeny nodded his head understandingly. "Yes, I can see that. I just wanted to know if you had any questions about the quiz I will be giving tomorrow in History."

"We're having a quiz tomorrow?" I asked, completely shocked by this news.

"Yes Miss Hart. I've only been reminding the class for the past week about this quiz."

I huffed. "I'm sorry Mr. Feeny, but whenever a teacher talks, there's this buzzing sound in my ear. I can't help it." I smirked. It really wasn't true, but that was always my excuse whenever a teacher talked to me.

Mr. Feeny threw his hands in the air in defeat. "I swear, you and Mr. Hunter share the same brain." He was about to go back downstairs when I stopped him.

"Wait, Mr. Weeny," I accidentally let slip out. _Oops._

Mr. Feeny turned right around, a serious look on his face. "What did you call me Miss Hart?"

"Nothing! I'm sorry. It was just a slip up. Uh, I wanted to ask you if you knew a piano teacher. I'd like to learn how to play."

Mr. Feeny thought about something for a moment. "I must bring up a proposition for you. Piano teacher's are very costly so I'd prefer if I became your piano teacher."

I smiled. "That's great! That's perfect-"

Mr. Feeny cut me off before I could say anything else. "However, Miss Hart I've noticed that you haven't been completing your homework recently. Many teachers have asked me about your book reports, lap reports, homework, papers- perhaps I can go on for eternity but I will spare you the grief. An hour's worth of piano tutoring will cost you a day's work of homework and studying."

My eyes widened. "But Mr. Feeny, that's unfair. How am I going to be able to do that much homework everyday?"

Mr. Feeny gave me a look. "Every student must do the same amount of work as you will put in Miss Hart. If your grades improve and you are dedicated enough as you say you will be on the piano, it could lead to other things."

I was puzzled. "What things?"

"Greater things, Miss Hart. Do we have a deal?" I'd always wanted to be good at something. Art had always been my escape route, maybe music could be too.

I nodded. "Yeah, deal."

Mr. Feeny looked over my head into my room. "Close your window, Miss Hart. It seems that it will be cold tonight."

* * *

"So Mr. Feeny's going to teach you how to play the piano? Now that's going to end up being a disaster," Riley commented the next day at school after I told her Mr. Feeny's proposition.

We stopped by our lockers and got our stuff out. "Yeah? And why is that? You don't think I can learn something from Feeny?"

Riley shook her head. "Maya, you know that's not what I meant. It's just that when two minds as opposed as you and Mr. Feeny try to agree on something, something terrible ends up happening."

"Like what?" I asked. Suddenly, Shawn came running up to us, with a newspaper held in their hands.

"Look guys!" Shawn said with so much enthusiasm as he pointed to the front page's headline. A gasp came out of Riley.

"New Principle is_ Weeny_?!" Riley said, taking the newspaper from Shawn's hands. "Who would do something like this?"

"I know who would," Cory said as he approached us, glaring daggers at Shawn.

Shawn hid behind Riley and me. "No you don't. Because if you did, that would mean you had something to do with it," Shawn said, a smile nervously planted on his face.

"No it doesn't," Cory argued.

I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see it was Mr. Feeny with the angriest look I had ever seen on his face. "Miss Hart, I would like a moment with you in my office."

Before I followed him, Riley stopped me and whispered. "What did you do this time?"

"I didn't do anything this time!" I whispered back, being completely honest.

"Are you sure?"

I glared at Shawn before saying, "Yeah. It wasn't me."

* * *

Being in Mr. Feeny's office felt like being on trial. I was the prime suspect while Feeny was the judge. I just wasn't sure what it was that I was being accused of.

"Mr. Feeny, I have homeroom in five minutes. I know how you hate it when I'm late-" I said taking a seat in front of Mr. Feeny's large desk. I was interrupted with the sound of Mr. Feeny shutting the door. "A-am I in trouble?"

Mr. Feeny didn't say a word. At least not until he took a seat in his big wheelie chair. "I'm quite sure you are informed of the journalistic prank someone has pulled on me."

I nodded my head. "Yeah, and I know for a fact that person is really sorry for their actions." I knew Shawn didn't _act _like he was sorry by the way he was so eager and excited to show Riley and me that newspaper. But he was going to be caught sooner or later and it would be better to soften up Mr. Feeny before he announces the verdict. Well, not that I actually _cared! Pssh!_

Mr. Feeny raised an eyebrow. "Is this your way of telling me you know who did it Miss Hart?"

"No!" I said quickly. "I was just assuming that the person feels sorry. But you didn't invite me in here for interrogation, right? Because you think I did it."

"Miss Hart, I for one am not for pointing fingers-"

I stood up from my chair. "But you're the principal! When something goes wrong, you're supposed to point fingers at someone. But why does it have to be me? For all we know... uh, Harley could have done it!" _Why did I just say that? Great, now I was dead._

"Is this who you believe did it, Miss Hart?"

After a moment of thinking, I nodded my head. "Yes? I mean, yes. Who else better than Harley Keiner?"

* * *

I couldn't concentrate on Turner as he was explaining The Scarlet Letter. Even when he joked about Cory never getting A's, I couldn't even think of a good snarky comment. I could tell Riley was getting worried for me by the way she kept looking behind her shoulder at me with a concerned look. All I had in my mind was Harley, and that he was going to kill me for accusing him. That was until I suddenly saw a folded note land on my desk. I discreetly unfolded it as Turner wrote something on the black board.

_What's wrong? -Riley_

_Why do you think something's wrong? -Maya_

I carefully gave Riley the note. After she read it, she turned around and gave me a look.

_Because Mr. Feeny invited you to his office and I don't think it was for some tea and crumpets. Is it because of that prank? You didn't have anything to do with it, right? -Riley_

_No! How'd you get so good at figuring stuff out? -Maya_

_I learned from the best ;) -Riley_

"Is there uh, anything you'd like to share with the rest of the class girls?" Turner asked, finally catching us passing notes. I knew what someone like Turner would do in this situation. He was quick, smart, and witty. He would snatch the note from us and read it in front of the whole class, and I just couldn't give him that satisfaction. I ripped up the note I held in my hands. The whole class gasped.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I did that."

Mr. Feeny walked in and announced that he hasn't found the person who did it. As he said this, he was eyeing me in a cold way. _Did he think I tricked him into thinking it was Harley and now he knew it wasn't? _That meant Harley was officially out to get me.

"I will go a lot easier on the perpetrator if he or she or they voluntarily confess," Mr. Feeny stated, looking directly at me. "No? Very well. I will return you back to your lesson Mr. Turner." Mr. Feeny then walked out of the classroom, clearly sadden by the fact that he was convinced I had something to do with the prank, and that I would not confess.

* * *

I tried to speed-walk all the way home after school. I had no one to walk with me given the fact that Riley, Shawn, and Cory were still at school working on their projects and I couldn't even look Mr. Feeny in the eye now that I had lied to him. For a second I believed I was being paranoid about the whole thing as I crossed the street, about to enter into the neighborhood. _Mr. Feeny probably didn't tell Harley who accused him. _I was wrong.

I got slammed into a tree and picked up off the ground by the collar of my sweater. I opened my eyes to see Harley's face right in front of me.

"I spare both Baboons lives and this is how ya choose to repay me Hart?" he said in a threatening way.

"N-no! That's not what happened. If you don't let go of me I'll scream. I promise I'll do it."

Harley let go of me once he started seeing people start to stare at him. He faked a smile and patted me on the head. Then he turned to me and said, "This ain't over Hart. Ya can't pull a stunt like that on me and get away with it ya know. I almost got caught for vandalizing the school yesterday and I don't need Weeny watching over my shoulder."

"It's Mr. Feeny. His name is Feeny."

"Oh, really?" He crunched down to eye level. "It didn't seem like it when you pulled that prank."

"What's that supposed to mean? You think I did it?"

Harley shook his head. "Nah, I think whoever did it should become a member of my gang. And you're too goody-two-shoes to pull it off." Harley gave me one threatening look before he walked away, thumbs in his jean pockets.

* * *

I didn't bother asking Mr. Feeny for my first piano lesson that night, despite the fact that I had done all my homework. I felt it would only bring more problems to the situation that slowly managed to arise. _For once, why didn't I tell him the truth? What would it have costed me? My friendship with Shawn? Oh, yeah._

I didn't believe anything could get any worse than it already had, until I saw Mr. Feeny's principal office door. _Principal's Office Mr. George Weeny. _Everything looked realistic except for the black paint drip below the _W _in Weeny. I brushed my hand against the bottom letter and heard an old man's voice behind me say, "There she is Mr. Weeny! There's the guy you're looking for!" I turned around and Janitor Bud's pointing a finger at me with Mr. Feeny next to him, arms crossed.

"Janitor Bud, I am not a _guy_ and it wasn't me!" I said holding up both my hands up as a sign of defense.

Mr. Feeny nodded toward my hand. "Might you explain why you have black paint on your fingers Miss Hart?"

I grumbled. "Come on Mr. Feeny, you too?" I looked behind Janitor Bud and Mr. Feeny to see more than half of the student body staring at me as if I were an interesting creature at a zoo. I rolled my eyes, annoyed by this.

"Let's go to my office Miss Hart where we will have more privacy," Mr. Feeny said and I agreed.

I landed in the exact same spot where I had been twenty-four hours before, except this time things were a lot worse. I sat in the chair which I had grown accustomed to after being sent to the office many times despite only being in school for more than a week. _Things are only going to get worse. _And I was in for the long ride.

"Mr. Feeny," I started off. "I can't believe you're accusing me of something like this. You know very well I was in my room not doing homework when all of this could have happened."

"Miss Hart, you were caught red handed. And I'm not so sure you were in your room during this event."

I scoffed. "Because my window was open? Is this because I accidentally called you Mr. Weeny? If it is, I am really sorry, but that isn't enough proof for you to think it's me."

Mr. Feeny shook his head. "Miss Hart, you assured me it was Mr. Keiner who pulled that stunt. Now it's been proven that it wasn't him and unless you don't inform me who did, I have no choice but to suspend you."

"Wait!" I jumped out of my seat. "What if... what if I get the person to admit they did it? Will you go easy on 'em?"

"Very well Miss Hart," Mr. Feeny said, also standing up. "If you get the perpetrator to confess directly to me in my office tomorrow morning, the punishment will be less severe. Is that understood Miss Hart?"

I nodded. "Yes Mr. Feeny." _Great, now how am I supposed to get Shawn to confess?_

* * *

I thought about it all day, and when I finally had a bullet-proof plan, I asked Shawn if we could go over to his place to do some 'studying'. And when I said 'studying', I winked flirtatiously at him. I didn't even have to ask twice. _Ha, sucker._

I walked with Shawn back to his trailer park. I had thought Riley would be worried about where I was going, but then I realized she wasn't going home anytime soon. She told me she was going to go to the library with Ricky to study. _Man, how much studying do these kids need?_

"Want anything to drink? We've got, uh... water?" Shawn offered, opening his fridge to find it completely empty.

I shook my head. "No I'm fine Hunter." I walked over to his kitchen table. "Do you still write letters to Jack?"

Shawn blushed. "Yeah, but he hasn't answered any of my letters." Then suddenly, his face got serious. "He's probably enjoying his rich life with his rich parents living in his rich house. I don't even know why I bother."

I paused for a moment, before I began. "Well, my dad left me when I was little so I hardly remember what he looks like. A few years ago, my mom told me I had a step brother and a step sister. I may not know what it's like to feel desperate about contacting someone who you really want to meet because they're family, but I do know what it's like to feel unwanted. Believe me Hunter, you don't know the half of it."

Shawn wrapped his hands around mine. "Do you think that's why we'd be so good together? Because we're just two unwanted kids that need to feel loved?"

I took my hands away from his. "And now you're back to being Shawn Hunter, the player. Are your parents going to be home any time soon?"

Shawn smirked. "No, why? Wanna make-out?"

I smirked back mischievously. "Something like that." I took off the sweater I had on. I could see Shawn watching me from the corner of my eye. I walked slowly toward Shawn. Shawn raised an eyebrow and slowly started to back up.

"Um, Maya? What are you doing? This is not how I pictured our first make-out session to be. Why don't we sit down?"

"No Shawn. I need to tell you something. I've been thinking a lot about the prank that was pulled on Feeny. Genius move, wasn't it?"

Shawn's eyes widened. "Y-you think that was genius?"

I nodded my head and faked a smile. "Are you kidding me? I would never have thought of something so clever. And I don't think I should be taking all the credit. I would feel too bad."

I was finally able to back Shawn up against the door. He gulped. "But w-wouldn't he get suspended if he confessed? N-not that I care."

I ran my hand across his shirt-covered chest in a teasing manner. He quickly tensed up. "Yeah, so what? Everybody would worship him. He would be king of the school."

Shawn was breathing heavily. "Y-you think s-so?"

I noticed the way Shawn was looking intensely at my lip. I bit my lip softly. "Yeah, every girl would be throwing themselves at him. Even me."

"Even you?"

I nodded my head. "_Especially _me." I grabbed Shawn by the collar and pulled my lips up to his ear. "If he were my boyfriend, I would do_ anything _he asked me to do._ Anything_." As I gently let go of his collar, I brushed my lips against his cheek ever so lightly. I could feel his back shiver and his knees go a bit weak. For some reason, so did mine, so I had to hold on to Shawn's shoulders to keep my balance. My eyes met his and I tried to look into his with innocence, so that he wouldn't figure out what I was doing.

That caught me off guard. It wasn't part of my plan, but I was glad it worked. It finally made Shawn blow. "Oh man, it was me! I was the one who pulled the prank. Now marry me Maya!"

I let go of Shawn's shoulders and backed up. "Aha!" I said, pointing a finger at him. "I knew it was you Hunter. Thanks for finally confessing."

A look of daze and confusion appeared on Shawn's face. "Wait, what are you talking about?"

"You think I would actually date the guy who tried to frame me?"

"Hey! I didn't try to frame you. Feeny just caught you at the wrong time. Did you just _use_ me?"

I nodded my head very proudly. "Yep, and now I want you to admit to Feeny tomorrow that it was you all along."

Shawn shook his head. "I don't want to get suspended Maya," he said, about to walk to the kitchen.

"Neither do I!" I said, frustrated with everything. I didn't even think twice about my actions, which I probably should have. I jumped on Shawn's back. Since Shawn wasn't expecting that, we ended up falling on the couch, me on top of him. After pinning Shawn to his couch with my hands pinning Shawn's wrist above his head, I said, "I want my good name back Hunter. I'm tired of people thinking of me as a trouble-maker."

"Maya, you don't understand. If my dad finds out what I did, he's shipping me off to military school. He said after the cherry bomb incident, if I screw up one more time, I'm done."

"You won't get suspended Shawn. Feeny promised me you wouldn't."

"That doesn't matter. All that matters is what my dad hears. That I screwed up again."

"Then why did you do it?" I asked, then I realized I was sitting on top of Shawn's stomach and in different circumstances it would look like we were doing something else.

He shrugged his shoulders and sighed. "I don't know. I wanted to feel important? We're seventh grade misfits." Shawn tried to struggle out of my grip with very unsuccessful results.

I smirked, noticing this. "Don't be disappointed a girl can tackle you Hunter. You'll grow some muscles someday."

Shawn smirked back. "By then you'll be secretly in love with me and I'll be the most popular guy in school."

I laughed. "Don't count on it."

"You know, I could get used to this-"

"Don't consider me as one of your flashy girls who makes-out with you without even knowing your name."

"Every girl knows my name," Shawn bragged.

"Then I guess you don't need to add more to your rep. It's time you start facing the consequences. Please-" I begged, before I heard a door open and slam shut. Deja vu, I guess.

Chet Hunter stood next to the door, where I had his son pinned five minutes ago. He put his hands on his hips and said in his southern accent, "Now why is it that every time you have a girl over Shawnie, I catch you in the same position?" _What?_

"Dad!" Shawn whined. "That's not true." I quickly got off of Shawn, beat red.

Chet chuckled. "I know it ain't Shawnie. I just like watching you squirm the way you do when you like a pretty little lady. Maya, you know you're always welcome to stay for dinner," he said making his way over to the fridge. He opened it up, probably not expecting to find it completely empty. "We're having... uh, food."

I refused politely. "It's okay Mr. Hunter." I looked over at Shawn, who looked as nervous as one could get. In my head, I could hear him begging, _"Please don't tell him anything."_ So I chose to keep my mouth shut. It wasn't entirely because Shawn would be shipped off to military school if I told, but because it would change _everything _in Cory's world if his best friend left, and most likely, Riley's world. "I'll be going now." I smiled, grabbed my sweater and backpack and headed out the door, despite all the protests I was getting from Shawn telling me to stay. _That blew up in my face._

* * *

What was I expecting? That I would get Shawn to agree that he would admit to Mr. Feeny about his wrong doing? Yeah sure, that would be the day.

I walked into Mr. Feeny's office the next day as I saw him doing some paper work.

"Come in Miss Hart. Will there be anybody joining us today?"

I shook my head sadly. "No, just me."

Mr. Feeny took off the glasses he was wearing. "Is this your way of telling me you were unable to get the perpetrator to confess?"

"Yeah."

Mr. Feeny took out a pen and a piece of paper. "Tell me his name and I will take care him."

"Mr. Feeny, I can't do that."

He looked up at me. "Why not?"

"He just wanted to feel important, like he belonged or something. If I tell on him, wouldn't that make me a snitch?"

"Miss Hart, rules are rules. If you can't tell me his name, I have no choice but to assume it was you and suspend you."

I mentally rolled my eyes. "Listen, I'm sorry about everything. Must hurt being called- uh, you know what."

"It was practically my nickname growing up. As principal of this high school, I'm expected to keep order. Unchecked, these pranks undermine my authority and breed disrespect," he explained.

"Then I guess I'm getting into trouble for something that I didn't do... Okay, fine. Suspend me Mr. Feeny." I was finally prepared to suffer the consequences, that was until Shawn came barging in out of breath.

"Don't suspend her Mr. Weeny- I mean Feeny. It was my fault. She had nothing to do with it."

My eyebrows raised. "Hunter? What are you doing?"

"I can't let you take the blame for something I did."

I crossed my arms over my shoulder. "Really? And what makes you think I need your help?"

He smiled. "Because I'm your friend and it's time I start facing the consequences."

I smirked back. "Well it's about time."

* * *

And that was how Shawn got suspended and shipped off to military school... no I'm totally kidding! In reality, Shawn didn't get suspended but had detention for two months three times a week. Mr. Feeny said he would be keeping an eye out for him all through high school, which I just found creepy. But nevertheless, glad that I was let off the hook.

That evening, I sat beside the piano, fingering some notes. I thought about how Mr. Feeny probably didn't want to tutor me anymore because I hadn't wanted to tell him who pulled the prank.

I thought our deal was off. That was until Mr. Feeny walked downstairs and grabbed a chair, sitting next to me.

"I've never had a student quite like you Miss Hart. One who has great potential and is dedicated to learning the piano."

I looked down at my hands. "But you probably don't want to teach me now, right? Because I didn't snitch on Shawn."

"As your new principal, I expect you to be completely honest with me and tell me everything that I need to know in order to keep the school safe and organized. As your foster parent who has watched you and Miss Matthews grow and mature this past year, I never suspected it for a moment. Now, shall we get started on this lesson?" he said, nodding toward the piano.

I looked at the instrument. Finally, I would learn how to play it. For some reason, I felt this experience would be life-changing. And I was right.

"Yes," I smiled.

* * *

**Author's Note: Almost forgot! Happy Be-lated Valentine's Day to you all! Hope you celebrated with your significant other (unlike me who will stay #foreveralone). But that's alright! Two days ago was Friday, February 13th, 2015. The day Riley and Maya get transported. Ain't that great? You may or may not find out why they did this season. Lol, for now it's a secret and someone might have the answer to it soon.**

**Can't wait for Girl Meets First Date, what about you guys? Are you sad season 1 is coming to an end next month? Are you excited for Girl Meets Demolition? How about season 2? I honestly can't wait for season 2! More Shawn, Mr. Feeny, Harley, and Minkus, the return of Eric, Angela, and Ghost Chet. There is absolutely no Boy Meets World fan that shouldn't be excited for season 2.**

**Last weekend, I discovered a new song, show, and a movie that I never heard or listened to before. I know this show is not that new, but I recently started watching_ Switched At Birth_. It's crazy for me because the only ABC Family show that I like to watch is _Pretty Little Liars_. I don't normally like to pay attention to the other shows but this time I decided to take a chance and start watching _Switched At Birth_. Right now I am currently in episode 22 season 1 and I can honestly say it's so shocking and makes me want to learn sign language. Now, this song in one of the episode started playing and I recognized it from somewhere (maybe my sister played it on her phone once or something?) so I searched it up. It's called _Jar of Hearts_ by Christina Perri. Now I cannot stop listening to that song, it's stuck in my head forever. I decided last week that I wanted to watch a really good movie, so I started searching. The most memorable and heart-felt movies for me are usually coming-of-age. I'll give you some examples: _Stand By Me, The Mighty, The Outsiders, Now and Then, _and_ The Breakfast Club_. And typically those types of movies are from the 80's and 90's. After searching for like 2 hours, I was able to find a movie that I thought looked interesting. It's called _The Man in the Movie _(1991). I couldn't stop bawling at the end, and you'd really have to watch it to see why. Anyway, I thought I would share that with you guys :)**

**P.S- Don't forget to check out my Q&amp;A Tumble blogs linked on my profile for this chapter! See ya next week!**

**Quote of the week:**

"Someday, Topanga's going to be a mother, and I'm going to be the father. Or, the uncle. Or, the way I'm going, the guy down the street with the binoculars."** –Cory Matthews**

**-Mimi1239**


	23. The Trouble with Rebels

**Hey guys! Last month I saw a movie called _The Trouble with Angels _and so that's where this chapter title is inspired from. Don't forget to check out my latest Bitstrips which you can find are linked to my profile (which I have remodeled to look as neat as it can possible be for me). I will try my best to get them all done as soon as possible. I am so glad you all liked last week's chapter. Maya can be very mischievous, huh? And Shawn sincerely cares about Maya. Someone asked about the episode, _Fear Strikes Out. _Will they kiss then? I don't know, because I haven't written it yet. Jokes, I know what will happen in that episode. I'll say you guys will be very happy with it. There's a chapter that happens before it though, _Rumor Has It_ will keep you right on your toes as well as _Four Minutes in Heaven_ and_ Tying the_ _Knot_. Riley will have some moments with Ricky as well, and you'll be surprised how long she is able to keep that secret from Maya. To be honest, I've never read _The Grapes of Wrath _before, but I read a little about it before writing this chapter so I hope it'll be a little believable. Well, I tried lol.**

**So this chapter is based on _Me and Mr. Joad. _Hope you like it! I'd like to give a shout-out to those who reviewed my previous chapter: montypercy100, What, BagelsandBroadway, SilverStainedDreams, Gmwandbmwlover12, jenna323.m, harmonizegirl1202, abbytony, Jemmie, HK, stephanieeeee, Nat-Marie, mrs. peeta mellark 2.0, dobegirl15, stephanie, emma, Pebblemist of LightClan, Ali6132, Giggles789, Liseegirl, LoveShipper, Teenage life of laziness, NinaJoFoster, and Glee Clue Rock 1251.**

**On with the show! ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

_I might have stood next to my girl as she held that homework rebellion, but that was when I was having an identity crisis. It felt like centuries ago when that happened. I had wanted so badly to be just like Maya. Now I just wanted to be me..._

Riley's Point of View

**_Wednesday, September 28th, 1994, Philadelphia_**

**_Past time, 8:45 A.M_**

I laid on my bed, holding up _The Grapes of Wrath _slightly above my face, eye level, as I read the novel page by page, picturing the scenarios and characters, and imagining their voices in my head. My eyes squinted as I had difficulty reading the book despite having it so close to my face. I mouthed out the words simultaneously as I read. My eyes moved from left to right. I was so enthralled with the novel, I could almost imagine being in The Great Depression (as what I once used to refer to as The Great Canyon) and experiencing the same pain and misery the Joad family went through during this crucial time in history every time I would close my eyes. It was fascinating.

"Riley Matthews, when are you ever getting off that bed and going to the mall with me, huh?" I suddenly felt _The Grapes of Wrath _being ripped from my hands. Maya stood in front of my bed, with _my_ book in her hand, arms crossed over her chest, staring down at me disapprovingly.

"What? I was almost finished! Give it back," I pleaded, wanting to know what happens after Tom kills the policeman. Guess I would never know.

Maya shook her head, refusing to give me back my book. "Not until we hang out. Come on Riles, I'm doing you a favor. You don't wanna be stuck here all day reading some dumb book about things we know nothing about."

"It's homework, Maya. We're _supposed _to read the book. What chapter are you on?" I asked, knowing very well she didn't even glance at the cover page.

Maya unfolded her arms, settled my book on her desk, and sat beside me on my bed as I sat up, cross legged. "Does it matter? It's not like that book is going to help us in life. Why read about other people's lives and experiences when we can live it ourselves?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know. But Mr. Turner's going to be upset when he finds out you haven't read the book."

"How's he going to find out?"

"When you get a zero on your test," I replied.

"Oh," she paused, realizing I was right. "I wish we were still in your dad's class. He let us do anything we wanted."

"No, he didn't," I protested. "He didn't let you get away with that homework rebellion you started. You had detention for two weeks."

Maya groaned. "Ugh, don't remind me." What troubled me the most was that after she said that, Maya smiled mischievously. "Wish we could start something like that in Turner's class, wouldn't that be cool?"

I shook my head. "Of course not Maya. I've learned my lesson, I'm not going to do anything I don't want to do."

Maya smirked. "You wanna go to the mall?"

I pouted. "No, but I'll go because you want to."

I grabbed my sweater and headed straight for the door. Behind me, I could hear Maya say sarcastically, "Glad you learned your lesson."

* * *

"Okay, we're talkin' about The Grapes of Wrath..." Mr. Turner trailed on. I kind of stopped listening after that. It was not because I didn't care about what Mr. Turner was saying, but I was having a pretty difficult time concentrating on the lesson when I knew very well Maya did not read the book and had no idea what was going on. One side of my brain was telling me to just let it go and focus on what Mr. Turner was saying before he asks me a question and finds out I hadn't been listening to him. The other side of my brain was saying to talk to Maya and convince her to read the book. It was a tough battle (not really, my nicer side always got the better of me), and so, without Mr. Turner looking, I scribbled something on a note and tossed it to Maya behind me.

_I'm worried about you -Riley_

About two minutes later, Maya passed me back another note.

_Why are you worrying? I'm fine -Maya_

_No you aren't. You haven't read the book. What if Mr. Turner asks you a question and you don't know the answer? -Riley_

_That won't happen Riley -Maya_

"Are you passing notes again girls?" Mr. Turner asked. I looked up with fright, looking over at Maya with a scared look on my face. She showed no emotion. I couldn't help but notice the way Ricky was looking at me too. I tried to avoid looking him in the eyes, but it was pretty difficult since he sat in front of me and had his body turned toward me. I blushed really hard, and it probably didn't look neither attractive nor cute.

"Yeah, we are," Maya answered flatly. Some people in the class snickered.

"Who can give us an overview of what we've read so far?" Mr. Turner asked, and I prayed this was his way of changing the subject. It wasn't. "Maya? Would you like to do us the honors?" he smirked, crossing his arms over his broad chest as he leaned against his desk.

Maya sat up straight, both hands on her desk. Her hands were intertwined with each other. To me, it was shaped like a spiderweb, but one can argue with me otherwise. I guess it just popped into mind since this made me think of being caught by Mr. Turner was like being caught inside a spiderweb. It was barely impossible to get out.

Back to what I was saying. Maya kept her focus on her intertwined hands as everybody in the room stared intensely at her, probably expecting her to say another funny witty comment. I really hoped she wouldn't.

"I can't."

"Why can't you?" our English teacher asked, knowing fully well the truth.

Maya sighed. "Because I didn't read the book, okay?"

"Alright Maya! I love this rebel side of you," Shawn flirted and cheered on.

Maya ignored Shawn's comment and abruptly got up. "Should I go to Feeny's office now or wait till after class?"

Mr. Turner stood up. "Whoa, whoa. Settle down Maya. We'll talk after class, alright?" After a painful, one minute staring contest by Maya and Mr. Turner, Maya finally sat back down. Unexpectedly, Cory raised up his hand.

"Muscle spasm, Matthews?" Mr. Turner asked.

Cory shook his head, putting his hand back down. "No, sir. I'd like to take a shot."

"Okay, everybody, give him room," Mr. Turner joked.

"All right. I think the conclusion of the book shows the Joad family's been pretty much destroyed by the greedy farm bosses, but the author's telling us they still have their dignity, and they're gonna fight on." My eyes widened. I certainly wasn't expecting that to come out of my twelve-year-old dad. _Whoa, where did that come from?_

"What just happened?" Mr. Turner asked, also bewildered by Cory's response. Topanga turned around in her seat to look at Cory with admiring eyes. Well, for the first time since I got here I didn't have to worry about my mom liking my dad. But my dad reciprocating those feelings was going to take some work.

Maya scoffed. "Show off."

"You're a disgrace to the entire back row," Shawn added with disgust.

"Okay, this story about migrant farm workers in the 1930s shows us that powerful people will exploit the powerless until they organize and stand up for their rights," Mr. Turner explained. Cory raised up his hand again. Mr. Turner pointed to him. "Yes?"

"Yeah, the thing about the 1930s, will we have to know dates for the test?" Cory asked.

Mr. Turner rolled his eyes. "The date is not as important as understanding the historical context of the whole struggle for workers' rights."

Shawn kept his head down as he was prepared to write something. "Excuse me. What page is the historical context on?"

"Are you kidding me?" Mr. Turner asked.

Shawn looked puzzled. "We need to know that for the test, right?"

Mr. Turner rolled his eyes again. "No, forget about the test. I want you to learn about this book to add to your personal knowledge, not to just pass a test. I don't wanna hear anymore about the test." Cory raised up his hand. "What?"

"Uh, when is the test?"

"What did I just say?"

"Okay, could I just ask one more question about the you know, the written thing you put a grade on that tells our parents we're idiots. There won't be any essays, will there?"Cory asked.

"Matthews, as long as you read the book and open your yap during the class discussion, no test. Okay?"

I raised up my hand. "Sir, so what you're saying that it's more important to understand the moral of the story so that we can apply it in our everyday life than getting good grades?"

Mr. Turner nodded. "Yep, that's exactly what I'm sayin'. Thank you for clearing that up Riley. Now can we possibly return to what is important here?"

The bell rung just as Mr. Turner was about to return to his lesson. How convenient. "No test!" everybody said in unison, leaving the classroom as quickly as possible. Except for Maya of course. _Ooh, something terrible was going to happen now..._

* * *

I couldn't manage to get out of Maya what Mr. Turner told her after class for the rest of the day. She pretended as if nothing happened, but she told me she didn't want to talk to me about it just yet. As we were getting ready for bed, I finally brought it up.

"Maya, I'm so sorry."

Maya raised an eyebrow. "Why are you sorry? What did you do?"

"If it hadn't been for me starting to pass notes to you in class, you wouldn't have gotten in trouble with Mr. Turner."

"No Riles," she said. "I didn't get in trouble with Turner. He promised he wouldn't say anything to Feeny and that's how I would like to keep it. If Feeny finds out I haven't been doing my homework, he's going to take away my piano lessons."

"So then what did Mr. Turner say to you about not reading the book?"

Maya shrugged her shoulders. "He said something about how it would help me in life. I kinda stopped listening after he said he wouldn't tell Feeny. I guess everything's alright now, right?" Maya smiled.

I shook my head. "I have a feeling something bad's going to happen tomorrow. Does this mean you're going to read the book?"

"Nope," Maya said, adding extra emphasis on the _p. _She climbed into bed as I did too. "Why do we need to read the book if we're not gonna have a test? It's ridiculous if you ask me."

"Then what's going to happen tomorrow?" I asked.

"I guess we'll find out," Maya smirked, shutting off the lamp to complete darkness.

* * *

I was still worried for Maya, as I'd always been. I knew she kept telling me not to be, because she wasn't worried about herself. But I guess that was why I was worried. _She_ wasn't worried about herself.

Maya and I got to school ten minutes early as usual. I walked inside the classroom as Maya stood outside not wanting to come in before the bell rung so that she wouldn't look like she cared about being on time. Ricky and Topanga were already in their seats.

"Hi guys," I greeted them.

"Hi Riley," they both said in unison.

"So what chapter are you on for the book?" I asked, curious to see how far they had gotten.

"Well, I'm already done," Rick stated.

"Me too," Topanga said. "What about you Riley?"

"I finished it last night!" I beamed, happy that at least I had two people who were like me.

Seats began to fill in just then. The bell rung as Mr. Turner entered the class. Cory, Shawn, and Maya entered together and took their seats.

"All right, class." Mr. Turner began. "In _The Grapes of Wrath_, we see that the struggle to organize, to get justice for the migrant farm workers, was long and difficult. Heads were broken. People were killed. A lot of blood."

"Sounds like Bingo night in my trailer park," Shawn commented.

"Now, like the Joads, we also find ourselves in the middle of a little struggle. We don't want tests. We think we can learn the material without 'em." Mr. Turner started handing out something.

"Right," the whole class agreed.

"Now, the boss, or Mr. Feeny, in this case, doesn't believe us, so what we gotta do is prove to the boss that we can learn this book without taking a test."

"Right," Cory agreed.

"Right," Shawn added.

"And to prove that, we're just gonna answer a few questions on this piece of paper," Mr. Turner explained. I looked down at my paper. _Yep, this is where the bad stuff happens..._

"It's a test!" Cory said, bewildered.

"No," Mr. Turner quickly cleared up. "Don't think of it as a test. It's a survey."

"Survey says...," Cory said.

"Test!" the class shouted.

"You gave us your word," Cory said, standing up.

"I even read the book," Shawn added, standing up behind Cory. The classroom gasped. "Yeah, my head still hurts."

"So, why don't we just talk about the book, like you said?" Cory asked.

Mr. Turner sighed. "Because I couldn't change the system overnight, Matthews. Come on, work with me here," he pleaded.

Cory grabbed his test and handed it back to Mr. Turner. "I'm not taking this test!" As he walked back to his desk, Cory froze in shock.

"You can do that?" Shawn asked, amazed.

"I don't know," replied Cory.

Shawn grabbed his test and handed it to Mr. Turner. "Me neither!" Everybody in the class followed suit, even Maya. Ricky, Topanga, and I were the only ones that still had our tests.

Mr. Feeny walked in with a smug look on his face. "Good morning, Mr. Turner. Obviously I was wrong, and your students were so prepared that they managed to finish the test two minutes after the bell has rung," he looked down and spotted Ricky, Topanaga, and me still with our tests. "Except for Miss Lawrence, Mr. Clark, and Miss Matthews, whom might I add, are the top students in this class."

Mr. Turner faked a smile. "Let me grade 'em, and I'll get back to ya."

Mr. Feeny thumbed through the tests. "Well, that shouldn't take long, considering that all of these papers are blank."

"I guess that'll kill the curve," Mr. Turner joked.

"Do you mean to tell me that your students refuse to take the test?" Mr. Feeny asked.

"That's the decision they seemed to have made."

For a short while, Mr. Feeny and Mr. Turner talked to each other in low voices so that we wouldn't be able to hear them. As they did this, I tried to finish writing my test as soon as possible.

Maya looked over her shoulders and scoffed. "Riley, what are you doing? You don't have to write the test, just give it back to Turner."

I shook my head, refusing. "I won't do that Maya."

"Why not?"

_Because we've been over this before. You had your homework rebellion, I followed you, and we both got in trouble. I just want to be my own person, for once..._

I wasn't able to answer Maya the way I wanted to, or at all because Mr. Feeny chose that moment to speak to the class. "I realize that all you seventh-graders are delicate adolescent flowers just beginning your high school blooming. And so I say this with utmost sensitivity; take this test or die." It was bone chilling to hear such words come out of my foster parent/principal. Everybody else had scared looks on their faces, including Mr. Turner.

Cory walked up to the front of the class. "Is this fair?"

"No!" the class shouted back.

"Have we been tricked?" he asked.

"Yes!"

"Take the test or die?"

"Die!" the class answered.

"Then we die together!" Cory declared. "Organized, like the people in the book should've done. The first student union."

"Yeah!" the class cheered and clapped.

My heart rapidly pumped in my chest as everybody got up in the class (except for Topanga, Ricky, and me) and started singing behind Cory, "Look for the union label, if you are buying that coat, dress or blouse. Remember somewhere our union's sewing, our wages going to feed the kids..."

My jaw dropped when Maya started chanting, "No homework, more freedom!" and got half of the class to do it too while the other half sung Cory's union song.

The class followed Shawn out in a straight line while marching, singing, and chanting as Cory and Maya stayed behind when the realized Topanga nor I were following them.

"Topanga?" Cory asked. "Aren't you coming?"

Topanga shook her head. "No Cory, I think I'd like to stay here and finish taking this test."

"But... Topanga, you love protests! Don't you wanna fight for what's right?"

"Cory... I don't believe what you're doing is right. I'm not the same girl you knew last year. I'm sorry," she apologized, turning her back to finish her test. Cory left the classroom, distraught. A little piece inside of me broke, that was for sure.

I turned my attention back to Maya, who was trying to get my attention. "Riley? What are you waiting for? Come on, let's go! We're getting out of class. We don't need to do that stinking test!"

I signaled Maya to come toward me so that nobody would hear our conversation. She crunched down at eye level with me as I whispered, "Maya, please don't do this."

"Do what?"

"Make me choose between my education and my best friend. We've been through this before, why do we need to repeat the past... or the future?" I wasn't sure what I was trying to say.

"But pumpkin, your dad's doing this with us! He's on _our_ side. He's fighting with us, not against us. He _understands_ us, isn't that what we've always wanted?"

I shook my head. "No Maya. Not like this. This is even breaking up my parents. He understands you, not me."

"Riley," Maya said one more time, as she stood up straight, speaking with a clear voice. "Are you with me or not?"

I turned my back toward her. "I'm not with you." Tension arose in the air after I stated this. I looked up to see Mr. Turner and Mr. Feeny shocked by what I said. I wasn't sure if they ever considered Maya and me as the female version of Cory and Shawn, but I sure did. That was why it pained me so much to do this to her.

"You're not with me," Maya repeated back. "Fine," I heard her say before I heard her footsteps getting farther and farther away from me. I sighed, putting my head down on my desk.

Ricky turned around in his seat and looked at me with concerned eyes. "Are you alright Riley?"

"I don't think so."

* * *

One of the tiny highlights that became of the student union was that the majority quit and returned back to class in a manner of minutes. The bad part was that those people who refused to come back to class were Cory, Shawn, and Maya. _Typical._

Topanga and Ricky told me they heard that Cory, Shawn, and Maya walked out of school but they didn't know where they went. My guess was either Shawn's place or Cory's place. Or perhaps they went to the park and waited until school ended so that they wouldn't have to face neither parents for starting the whole thing. I only hoped they didn't do anything stupid. Oh yeah, too late.

I denied Ricky's invitation to study at the library and Topanga's invitation to hang out at her house. I stayed locked up in my room doing homework, waiting for Maya to come home, _if _she ever would. All I wanted was my best friend back.

It might sound a little over dramatic or silly, I know. The last time Maya and I had fought before being transported was when we played tug-of-war with Farkle for his affection. Well, not for his _romantic_ affection, but you know what I mean. Even that was a bit silly, but this wasn't. I might have stood next to my girl as she held that homework rebellion, but that was when I was having an identity crisis. It felt like centuries ago when that happened. I had wanted so badly to be just like Maya. Now I just wanted to be me.

"Miss Matthews, may I come in?" Mr. Feeny asked on the other side of the door. His knocking woke me up from my innermost thoughts.

"Yes sir, you can come in," I said.

Mr. Feeny slowly creaked the door open, with hesitation. "I just came up here to inform you that Maya is over at the Matthews' house."

"Oh okay," I said plainly. It seemed like that wasn't enough for Mr. Feeny.

"Now I know it isn't any of my business but I suggest you go and talk to her Miss Matthews, she is your best friend after all."

I nodded in agreement. "I know she is. But why do friends have to be so stubborn? Why can't she see I don't want to be controlled by her anymore?"

Mr. Feeny walked toward my window. "Riley-"

I gasped. "Did you just call me Riley?"

Mr. Feeny smiled. "Yes Miss Matthews I did. Listen, if you peer over your window here, you will notice you have an excellent view of my garden."

I walked over to the window and looked down. "Oh yeah. I haven't really noticed that before."

"And do you remember that geranium plant Mr. Matthews, Miss Hart, and yourself gave me as you visited me during my stay at the hospital last year?"

I nodded. "Yeah, how can I forget?"

"Well, have you noticed how I bought another geranium plant and it's planted right beside the one the three of you bought?" I squinted my eyes a bit in order for me to look closer to the garden. Indeed, there was another geranium plant next to the one the three of us bought, except it was a little smaller in height and growth.

"Why is it not as tall as the one we bought you?" I asked curiously.

"Well, Riley I bought it the day after I planted yours in the garden. I've watered it and nurtured it the same way I have with yours, but the thing is, plants grow at their own pace. They blossom when the time is right for them. The same thing occurs with humans. All you can do is be patient and wait for them to catch up."

Oh, now I understood what was happening. Mr. Feeny just taught me yet again another lesson.

"Thanks Mr. Feeny," I smiled. "You've really helped."

He smiled back. "That's what I'm here for."

* * *

I climbed downstairs as quickly as my legs could take me and opened the front door to find Maya standing on the opposite side.

"Hi," I breathed.

"Hi," Maya responded. An awkward silence arose as we didn't know what to do next. I was planning on going over to the Matthews' house to get Maya, not that I would find her outside the house! Suddenly, everything I had rehearsed in my head about what I was going to say to her disappeared. "Are you going to let me in? I still live here too, you know."

I stepped aside and extended my hand, motioning her to come in. "Yeah, come in."

Maya walked in slowly, both her hands dug inside her back pockets. "Listen Riles, if you want to give me a lecture on why what I did was wrong, you can save your breath, Feeny already beat you to it."

"He did?' I asked, surprised. "Is he taking away your piano lessons?"

"Nope, but I'm grounded for two weeks. Plus I have detention every day after school for those two weeks. Isn't it great to have your principal as your foster parent?" she asked sarcastically.

"Well, at least he can't take away our phones, huh?" I joked. Maya didn't laugh, but at least I got her to smile.

"Listen Riley, I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for not letting you read your book when you wanted to, for not listening to you when you said I should read it, and for walking out of class and trying to make you feel guilty for not being with me."

"Maya, I'll always be with you. That was why I got us those friendship rings before the- you know. I'll always be your best friend no matter what you do."

Maya smiled. "I know you will pumpkin. And I promise to not do anything stupid like that again. I've finally learned my lesson."

"Friends?" I asked hopefully.

"No," Maya stated and my smiled dropped. "Best friends."

Maya and I wrapped our arms around each other in a tight embrace. I whispered into her ear, "Always."

* * *

**Author's Note: Sorry that I've been falling behind on this. School's been very brutal with me lately, especially English (how ironic), but I will get back on my feet someday. I'm giving a special shout-out to DisneyLover16 for giving me the plant analogy! Mr. Feeny's garden will be a big significance to the whole story, just wait for it! :D**

**When I'm bored at school, sometimes I make up chapter titles for later seasons. I'm almost done with season 3's titles. I'm having a little trouble with the order but they are great titles, hope you enjoy them. I won't post them until season 2 is complete because I don't want to get too ahead of myself lol. So I definitely encourage more feedback from you guys. I know there are roughly twenty of you who review my story religiously, but I know there are a lot more people who read this. I take any suggestions from you guys, and in fact, I will include something one of my fabulous guest reviewers left me last month. I can't say what it is or _who _gave me the idea now because it'll spoil the surprise I have for you all very soon (well, in weeks to come). I've decided that I want to end this season on the last week of May, so my schedule will change to accommodate these changes. That means twice I will update two times a week. One of them may be during the March Break on the Wednesday. I'll let you know ahead of time. Whelp, that's it for now! So remember, more feedback and suggestions in reviews and I'll see what I can do. Thanks!**

**P.S- Don't forget to read my Tumblr Q&amp;A blog and Bitstrips comic strips (all located in my profile). Follow, favourite, and review please! :) (Also wanted to say that I watched Legally Blonde for the first time today and loved it! haha)**

**Quote of the week:**

"I don't really know anything. I'm just cute and fun to watch." – **Shawn Hunter**

**-Mimi1239**


	24. The Outsiders

**Hello gorgeous people! To me this is a very good time to post a chapter called _The Outsiders _because that novel has been my favourite for three years now, conceitedly when I read it in on the last week of February during my grade 8 year. Happy March guys! Only two more week left of school before March Break, where I will post a chapter during Wednesday like I promised you guys. I went to a birthday party yesterday for a gig my band had which is why I wasn't able to post this chapter at midnight (I was still at the party). The banquet was AMAZING! Lots of my band mates (who are all girls) were in tears when the birthday girl started singing "I Will Always Love You," because sadly, her father died last year in October. Must have been about a week after I started this story, so that was tough on all of us. Yesterday was also the first time that I put on mascara since September when I mentioned it to you guys in my first chapter. Second time I put full on makeup. Okay, those who reviewed my previous chapter are awesome! Because I'm almost at 500 reviews. Special thanks to CabbieLoverSAC22 for helping me almost reach 500 by reviewing almost every chapter. I'd like to give a shout-out to those who reviewed my previous chapter: Guest, Esthernight, pancakespickleskickraura, stephanieeeee, Giggles789, HK, jenna323.m, mrs peeta mellark 2.0, dobegirl15, Guest, Guest, Ali6132, stephanie, BookNinja02, Pebblemist of LightClan, Liseegirl, Glee Clue Rock 1251, and LoveShipper.**

**By the way, the return of two characters is in this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

_But you don't need anybody to tell you how cool you are Riles. All that should matter is how you think of yourself. Why didn't I tell her that? Why was I letting her go to that party? Why was the fact that I wasn't invited starting to bug me? I had no clue._

Maya's Point of View

_**Friday, October 21st, 1994, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 9:05 A.M**_

When did high school parties become so important in my life? I remember that time Riley was so happy about getting invited to her first middle school party, only to find out once she got there it was a geek party. I laughed about it then, but now I think "Poor Riley," and still laugh about it.

_Why am I talking about high school parties? _I asked myself. It was only about a complicated gathering for people who _thought_ they were cool and superior. It was an opportunity for the snobby kids to rub it into those who didn't get invited's faces. But apparently at John Adams High, high school parties were _everything. _Especially for Riley.

"What do you think I should wear to Melissa Harrington's party Maya?" Riley asked me as we were walking to Mr. Feeny's second period History class.

"What party?" I asked, confused because I hadn't heard anything about a party prior to Riley telling me.

Riley looked at me shocked. "You didn't know Melissa Harrington is having the first party of the year?"

"No," I answered flatly. "Why should I care?"

Riley stopped in her tracks, seemingly insulted by my not interest in some party. "Maya, this is a huge deal! Because this is it, right here. This is where you go one way and I go the other way. You get the invite and you marry pretty-boy hipster and I end up marrying-" I pressed my index finger to her lips to get her to stop talking.

"Riley, let's not go down this road again. I don't want you to get your hopes up like last time-" Riley cut me off before I could finish my sentence.

"Maya, this is _not _like last time. We aren't even in the same century for crying out loud! You don't have to worry about me, I'll be alright," she reassured me, walking into the classroom. But I knew everything she was saying was far from the truth.

* * *

I wasn't really paying attention to what Mr. Feeny was teaching in History today. And then again, when do I ever? I was more worried about Riley. The fact that people were passing notes to each other, most likely about the party, was getting me thinking about how in 2015, kids wouldn't get caught passing notes in class, but for texting in class. Oh, how different the world would be in twenty years...

It occurred to me then the thought of asking Riley who told her about the party, because it most likely wasn't Melissa.

I scribbled down my question in a note, then quickly passed it behind Riley. She looked back at me after reading the note and smiled.

_Hilary Flores told me -Riley_

My jaw dropped open as I read the note. Hilary Flores, the girl who probably hated my guts for stealing Shawn away from her. Well, technically I didn't _steal _Shawn away from her... well you know what I mean!

_Riley, something seems fishy about this. You shouldn't trust Hilary -Maya_

_Why? She's so nice! -Riley_

_I mean it Riles. She shouldn't be trusted. I don't want you to get hurt -Maya_

"Thus, the transcontinental railroad spelled the end of the Pony Express," I heard Mr. Feeny say. "Mail service was faster, more reliable. Letters no longer had to be passed from hand to hand." Just as I was about to hand my last note to Riley, I felt it being snatched from my hand. "These just in." Mr. Feeny said, snatching everybody else's notes, including Cory's. He opened up the first one and was about to read before I interrupted him.

"Hey!" I stood up. "You're the teacher, you can't read our notes!" I argued.

"Yeah!" everybody else agreed.

"Too bad Miss Hart. You know my policy. If I don't read your note, you will. Mr. Turner has informed me you do this often in his class. We will discuss this later," Mr. Feeny said, opening up the first note and reading, "Miss Flores wants to know what Miss Harrington thinks she should wear to her party. Miss Harrington wants to know what makes Miss Flores think she's even invited. Ooh," Mr. Feeny mocked.

Hilary looked at Melissa in shock. "I'm not invited?"

"We'll just see, okay?" Melissa responded in a snobby tone.

Mr. Feeny moved on to the next note. "Mr. Matthews wants to know 'Is this going to be a make-up party?'" The class roared in laughter as Cory turned beat red.

Melissa turned around, snickering at Cory. "Well, sure, Cory. You can borrow my lip gloss."

Cory glared at Mr. Feeny. "_Out_! Not _up_! A make-_out_ party."

Mr. Feeny reverted his eyes back at the note and nodded. "Ah, so it is. Mr. Matthews wants to know if this is going to be a make-out party."

I turned my head to look at Shawn as he said, "Not for him."

As Mr. Feeny shuffled the notes to mine, I held up my hand. "You can't read that!" I said. The whole note passing was about Hilary after all, and I knew she would hate my guts more if she knew I was talking bad about her. Besides, I was afraid she would take her anger out on Riley and do something to embarrass her at the party. _If _she was invited that is.

"Miss Hart, you should have thought about that before passing notes in my classroom."

Shawn nudged me and whispered lowly, "It's probably about me, right? You don't have to be embarrass about loving me Maya. My girlfriends won't mind," he joked. I only rolled my eyes and tried to ignore him as Mr. Feeny read my note.

"Miss Hart wants to inform Miss Matthews that she means it. This person shouldn't be trusted and that Miss Hart doesn't want to see Miss Matthews get hurt," Mr. Feeny paused for a moment after he read the note. His eyes shifted from Riley to me in concern. "I will get back to the lesson now."

* * *

After class, all I could think about was how relieved I was that Mr. Feeny didn't mention Hilary in my note. Feeny being Feeny, I knew he would want to talk to both Riley and me about the note, but I felt that wasn't as bad as Hilary finding out I didn't trust her. She would be out to get Riley, and that was something I was not going to let happen.

"I blew it, Shawn. There's no way Melissa's gonna invite me to her party now," Cory commented as the four of us walked down the halls, on our way to our third period class.

Shawn shrugged his shoulders coolly. "So Feeny cut you off at the knees. People will forget. You'll get invited to the next party."

"I agree with Hunter. What's the big deal about this party anyway? It's not like anybody's getting anything... like money! It's a waste of time," I stated as my three friends stared at me in shock. "What?" I asked.

"She still has a lot to learn," Riley said, laughing nervously. She creepily brushed a piece of strand from my face.

As usual, Harley came up to us with his lackies right behind him. Whenever chance he got, Harley Keiner always came hunting down Cory for doing something so little that apparently bothered him. He used any opportunity he got to pick and threaten Cory. Today, it was because Cory accidentally sat in his lunch seat a week ago. _Ugh, how stupid can this get?_

As if he read my mind, before Harley left, he glared at me threateningly. Did that make me want to hide inside my locker or inside a trash can every time Harley came to school like the whole world did? No, because I was not the whole world.

After Harley left, Cory sighed sadly. "You know, I almost wish he did kill me this time."

"How come?" Riley asked concernedly.

"Then I wouldn't be here to be humiliated when I'm not invited to the party."

Shawn rolled his eyes. "You're sounding just a little bit whiney."

"Guys, this is the first party of our high-school lives. I mean, it'll divide our class into two groups- those who were invited, the cool guys, and those who weren't, the geeks," Cory explained.

"You sound ready for this," I said sarcastically.

"Maya, you don't understand how this can transform our lives forever. This invite is a membership to the popular club," Riley explained.

"Ohh," I said, pretending like I finally understood. "I get what this is about. You guys only care about your reputations at school and what Melissa thinks about you... Well I don't care what Melissa Harrington thinks about me! She's a fake and a phony and her whole stupid party's going to be a disaster!" I wasn't sure what made me say all that. Maybe because I was sick and tired of hearing about Melissa's party a million times in one day. The bad thing was that I hadn't realized that I had said everything out loud until I finished, because it seemed like the whole school was in the hallways staring at me in shock. Even Melissa Harrington.

"Don't look now, but the Pony Express just pulled into town," Shawn said nervously staring at Melissa as she walked down the stairs, handing out the invitations.

It seemed like she was taking forever to come to us. As if she was walking in slow motion. I think I even heard dramatic music playing. But when she finally came to us, I faked a smile. "Oh, hi Melissa. Didn't see you standing there."

"Yeah, whatever Hart," she said snobbishly. "I didn't come here to give you an invite, since I just heard you loud and clear about what you think of me and my party, okay? Whatever." She pushed past me to get to Riley and Cory who were both holding their breaths in for so long they were starting to turn blue. Like father, like daughter.

Both Cory and Riley jumped for joy after Melissa gave them their invitations.

"Thank you sooooo much Melissa!" Riley said, getting down on her knees, hugging Melissa's waist.

"Ew, get away from me Sandy Baboon!" she said, ripping Riley's arms from her waist and running away to the bathroom, probably to check to see if she was still wearing her skirt. _Ha!_

It was quite an amusing sight to see Riley so overjoyed. She got up off the ground and dusted her knees.

"Did I went a little overboard?" she asked innocently.

"Just a little," I said, barley able to contain my laughter.

Meanwhile, the boys were having their own reactions to what just happened.

"Shawn, there's been a miracle!"

"Yeah, whatever. Come on, let's go. We're gonna be late for class," Shawn said, about to walk away.

"Class?!" Cory asked, bewildered. 'We don't need no stinkin' class. Our futures are set. We are high school gods. Come, let us repair to the gym and rejoice in our invitations."

"It's gonna be kinda hard, since I didn't get one," Shawn said solemnly.

"What?" Riley asked shocked as the rest of us.

Shawn shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't get an invite. No biggie." But it was quite obvious this was bothering Shawn.

"There's gotta be a mistake!" Cory stated, panicking. "You're the coolest guy in class, you've _gotta_ be invited."

"Yeah, well, looks like I'm not."

"I'm gonna find out what happened," Cory said.

I stepped in front of Cory's path, preventing him from getting to Melissa. "Let it go, okay? Just let it go. Shawn doesn't care about not getting invited to some self-centered, Barbie girl's party."

Cory turned around to look at Shawn. "You want me to ask her?"

Shawn nodded. "Yeah, would you?" _Ugh, boys will be boys._

* * *

"What do you think I should wear to this party Maya? A dress, a blouse? Everything's just so complicated. I didn't know being cool would be this hard," Riley laughed to herself as she stood in front of our mirror, trying to decide what to wear to Melissa's party tonight as I sat beside the window, peering over ever few seconds, drawing Mr. Feeny's garden.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know. It's not like it matters what I think. I'm not as cool as you or Melissa."

Riley walked over to me and knelt down. "Maya, you know _exactly _how cool you are. You're one of the coolest girls in our grade! You're the coolest person I've ever known. Remember when you won that _Totally Cool _award? It wasn't for nothing, right?"

I shook my head and smiled. "No, it wasn't for nothing."

"You see Maya, you know how cool you are. I am not like you, I _need_ someone to tell me how cool I am or I won't know. That's why I'm so grateful you're not talking me out of going to this party, because I really want to go. You really are a good friend."

_But you don't need anybody to tell you how cool you are Riles. All that should matter is how you think of yourself. _Why didn't I tell her that? Why was I letting her go to that party? Why was the fact that I wasn't invited starting to bug me? I had no clue.

"Nice pep talk," I said, getting up from my chair, placing my drawing book and pencil on my bed. "I have to go see somebody right now. Have fun at that party Riles. No matter what you wear, you'll always look cool." I shut the door on my way out.

* * *

At first, I had no idea where I was going, only that I didn't want to stay at the house any longer watching the plant getting her hopes up about something that would most likely never happen. The fact that Riley and Cory were the ones that were invited and not Shawn was what convinced me that Melissa's party was definitely not a cool party. I didn't mean that _I _thought they weren't cool, but Melissa sure didn't.

I ended up standing outside of Shawn's trailer park. I guess it was because I needed someone who I could talk this over with and Shawn was probably the only one who could understand me since he didn't get invited either.

I banged on Shawn's door, hoping that none of his parents were home. Not for reasons that other girls would have when visiting Shawn if they ever did, but because I wanted to talk to him privately, without his parents there to hear us.

"Maya? You're here!" Shawn perked up when he opened the door to find me standing outside his trailer park.

"Yeah, I think we should talk. Are your parents home?"

Shawn shook his head eagerly. "No, come in. What do you wanna talk about?"

I stepped inside his trailer park like I had a bunch of times before. "I'm worried about Cory and Riley. Melissa's up to something. She would not just invite them when she just could have invited you to her cool party."

Shawn smirked. "You think I'm cool?"

"No!" I quickly answered. "I'm just saying what the majority thinks you are. Not me. Don't flatter yourself Hunter."

"Yeah, sure."

"I don't like you that way. Come on, why can't you just admit you don't really like me?"

"I can't do that Maya," he said, stepping closer to me. The more I backed up, the more Shawn got closer, so finally I grabbed Shawn's shoulders and pushed him into his couch, holding his wrists above his hands just like I did the last time I was there.

"What are we going to do about our friends Hunter?"

"They'll be fine. Don't worry, they've got us."

I smiled to myself. "Yeah, guess you're right. They do got us." I lifted myself off of Shawn and went to the door. "Oh, and the next time you say you like me, I'll-"

"Kiss me?" he teased.

"You. Wish," I said, gritting me teeth.

"I'm heading to Chubbies with a bunch of kids from school if you wanna join us?"

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What the heck is Chubbies?"

* * *

I got home close to seven just after Riley left to the party, as I was informed by Feeny when I got there. He was sitting by the piano, slightly fingering a few notes. I realized then that I had done something wrong.

"Sorry I'm late for my piano lesson Mr. Feeny! I guess I lost track of time and forgot all about it. But I'm here now and so let's get started," I said, sitting beside my piano teacher as he stared off into space in deep thought.

"Is there anything troubling you right now in your life Miss Hart?"

I chuckled. "Yeah, when isn't there something wrong in my life? But don't worry, it's not as serious as you might think. It has nothing to do with drugs or anything."

"I would never assume such a thing Miss Hart. I apologize for being so tough on you today, but lately you seem to be distracted about something. If you care to talk about it, you know I am all ears."

I thought about it for a moment. Tell Feeny about what's been bothering me, or go through life making the exact same mistakes? I chose the former option.

"It's just that Riley's been changing a lot lately. She's insecure about herself like about what she wears and how she acts. Melissa Harrington invited her and Cory to her party and I don't want Melissa or Hilary or anybody controlling my best friend. What should I do Mr. Feeny? I tried talking to Shawn about it but he doesn't know either. But now... I think I'm more afraid of losing Riley to the popular girls. That after this party, she's going to like them better than me and ignore me forever." _Wow, did I really just say that? Was I actually jealous of some Barbie dolls?_

Mr. Feeny stared down at the keys of the piano. "From what I've observed thus far, you Miss Hart and Miss Matthews have a great bond that no one shall break. If you feel your friendship is as great as it is, then you have nothing to worry about." _Was Mr. Feeny right? Did I really have nothing to worry about? _Of course Mr. Feeny was right. He was Mr. Feeny!

I stood up. "You're right Mr. Feeny. I shouldn't have to worry about anybody stealing my best friend from me. Thanks sir, I feel a lot better now. Can we start my piano lesson now?"

Mr. Feeny shook his head. "I believe you've learned enough today Miss Hart. I should retire to bed now anyway. I'll be up in my room if you need anything. Goodnight Miss Hart." Mr. Feeny got up from the bench and went climbed upstairs, leaving me alone with my thoughts...

* * *

Finally, I decided to meet up with Shawn at Chubbies. At least I would have someone there to talk to. But I was wrong, because I found Shawn surrounded with about fifty people at his table. Him being the center of the attention. Just as I was about to leave the restaurant, I bumped into none other than Melissa, Hilary, and Gary. _Oh great._

"Hi Maya. Haven't seen you in a long time," Gary said, smiling friendly at me. I looked down to notice Hilary and Gary were holding hands. Guess they were still together.

"Yeah, it's been a while," I agreed. "Melissa, shouldn't you be at your party?" And what she said next really shocked me.

Melissa scoffed, flipping her hair back. "That joke? Like I would ever be caught dead hosting a geek party!" she laughed as Hilary and Gary did too.

My eyes widened. "What?! What do you mean a geek party?"

Hilary smirked. "She means your little friend was only invited because Melissa's parents wouldn't let her invite any of the cool kids."

"And where's Riley and Cory now?" I asked.

Melissa shrugged, smiling at Hilary. "We left them there, where they belong," Melissa and Hilary walked over to Shawn's crowded table laughing evilly. Gary followed behind them, not before saying to me, "See you later Maya," flashing another friendly smile.

Again, I attempted to walk out of Chubbies when Cory and Riley entered through the door, their heads down in disappointment.

"Guys," I croaked. "I'm so sorry about what happened. I shouldn't have let you go to that party."

"What's there to be sorry about?" Cory asked.

"You were right Maya. We shouldn't have trusted Melissa and gone to that party," Riley said. Suddenly, an idea popped in my head.

"Yo Hunter!" I shouted across the room to Shawn's table. Everybody stopped what they were doing to stare at me. Shawn managed to squeeze out of his booth and walked over to us.

"Hey guys! How was the party? Cor, did you make out with anybody?" Shawn asked, teasing his best friend a little.

"No," Cory said. "It was a geek party. That was the only reason why Riley and I got invited."

"Oh," Shawn answered. "Well, do you guys wanna come and sit with everybody at the booth? I've got an order of chili cheese fries. Extra gravy."

"Gee Hunter," I said sarcastically. "I wouldn't wanna rain on your parade when I kill Melissa and Hilary who are sitting at your table."

Shawn turned around, finding Melissa, Hilary, and Gary as the center of the attention of his booth. "Should I do something about them?" he asked us.

"No," Riley said. "Just let them be. We shouldn't cause any trouble now."

"Let's get outta here and go to Cory's house," I suggested. The gang agreed and that was exactly what we did.

* * *

Since it was Friday, Cory's parents allowed us to stay up late playing board games and eating junk food. It was something both Riley and I hadn't done in a long time. Have a sleepover.

The four of us were gathered around Cory's kitchen table like we had done a million times before. But this time it felt different. Nobody had to prove anything to anybody. Nobody had to be cool around each other. We all had our guard down, and that was okay.

"Guys, I just want to let you know that you'll always be cool to me," I said. "Riley?"

"Yeah?"

"You're Riley and I'm Maya, just like it's always been, okay?

"No matter how uncool I am?"

"You, especially will always be cool to me, because you're my best friend."

Riley flashed me a cheeky grin. "Thanks Maya."

All in all, I guess Mr. Feeny was right after all. It didn't matter what anybody thought about us. Not Melissa or Hilary or any of their snobby popular friends. The four were having a party of our own. We were all cool in each other's eyes, and that was all that mattered.

* * *

**Author's Note: Yeah, sorry I'm posting this almost a day late. I know, but I barely had enough time to get everything done this week. I had a 30 minute band practice every day of last week plus the gig I had yesterday. I woke up very late today and just started the chapter. I know there's been a really big viral thing regarding a blue/black dress. I've only seen the dress as white/gold and blue/gold. Yeah, just wanted to bring that up. On Thursday I had to submit my course selection for next year. Mostly taking math and accounting. We'll see how that goes! :) Wish me luck guys.**

**Next chapter is all about _Much Ado About Nothing, _in Riley's eyes. See how she handles what happens in that episode next week. After that, you'll see what happens to Maya!**

**Keep up those suggestions. Thanks for the 500 reviews guys! :D**

**P.S- Don't forget to check out my Tumblr Q&amp;A blogs. See ya next week!**

**Quote of the week:**

"With this outfit and this hair? Hello, buh-bye, I am _so_ at the mall." –**Topanga Lawrence**

**Stay Gold!**

**-****Mimi1239**


	25. Special Kind of Love

**Hello my beautiful readers! It's that time of the week again for another update! I went to the hospital on Friday (not for reasons you might think haha), but because I was on a field trip with my Healthcare class. I was really shocked by some of your reviews, the ones that told me you guys were worried about me because I wasn't updating on my schedule. No, I haven't died or anything like that, but it makes me really happy how much you all care about this story so much you freaked when I updated it a little off schedule. Sorry for that, but I would appreciate it if you be patient while I try to regain some control over my own life. Lol, it's actually not as serious as you think, I'm just overloaded with homework, and having a sister who keeps turning off my alarm clock causing me oversleep and not have my homework done (and she's two years older than I am) doesn't help at all.**

**Chapter talk: So this chapter will be about that episode that you've all been waiting for. _Wake Up Little Cory _will be seen through Riley's eyes, and how she deals with doing Mr. Turner's project. Lots of twists and turns throughout this chapter. Hope you'll like it!**

**I'd like to give shout-outs to those who reviewed my previous chapter: Giggles789, Hibabuba24, Ten-Kusanagi, HK, dobegirl15, Alyssaunicorn, Guest, jenna323.m, Girlmeets2015, emma, stephanie, Flaming tortoise, Ali6132, mflynny86, Liseegirl, mrs peeta mellark 2.0, Glee Clue Rock 1251, Pebblemist of LightClan, stephanieeee, AliciaMae26, harmonizergirl1202, Weirdlover1239, Nat-Marie, BagelsandBroadway, and LoveShipper.**

**On with the show! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

_How was I supposed to work on an assignment about sex with the opposite sex?_

Riley's Point of View

**_Monday, November 7th, 1994, Philadelphia_**

**_Past time, 9:06 A.M_**

Halloween past by once again. Instead of going out to get candy, the gang (along with Topanga) decided to hang out at Cory's house. Yeah, no matter how many times I have had to say my parents first names, it was still strange for me. It was strange for me to not have anybody to call 'Mom' or 'Dad'. Regardless of it being a year now since Maya and I were transported.

I guess one of the only things I was happy about was that my parents were getting along great. You could obviously tell my mom liked my dad, and I hoped he liked my mom as well. There was never really anything wrong with them. However, Wendy was probably the biggest issue if I had to go there. She wouldn't leave my dad alone, she was super clingy to him. She wouldn't even let him go to the washroom without asking for a kiss and telling him she loved him. _I love you... I love you... _What did that even mean?!

"Love sex slander," Mr. Turner boldly started off writing the three words on the board, referring to one of Shakespeare's plays one Monday morning in homeroom when the whole class was barely awake. It was a Monday morning, what did Mr. Turner expect? It kind of reminded me of the time my dad was teaching the class about the sixties and everybody in the class was bored and nearly falling asleep. "Now even though _Much Ado About Nothing_ was written 400 years ago, Shakespeare has captured raw human emotion in a way that is still riveting today. Still has us glued to our seats!" I slowly closed my eyes, slowly slipping into deep slumber until...

_Thud!_

I turned around curious to see who or what had made such a loud sound and found Shawn sprawled on the floor taking a nap. Cory kicked his best friend sleepily in the stomach jolting him awake in the process. The class giggled as Shawn blushed embarrassingly.

Maya groaned, lifting her head off her desk, turned her attention to Shawn lying on the floor and rolled her eyes. "Nice going Hunter, way to make the teacher believe you're paying attention." Shawn glared at Maya from the floor.

"You know these chairs really aren't the best for sleeping," Shawn stated, picking himself off the ground.

Mr. Turner groaned in frustration as he held the Shakespeare book in his hand. "Oh, come on! You got this innocent young girl and somebody says that she slept with this other guy, right? And her reputation is shot and we think she's killed herself. Now where are you going to find this kind of stuff?"

"Melrose Place?" Topanga asked.

"NYPD Blue?" Shawn added.

"Barney?" a little shockingly, coming from Cory. Well, it wasn't that shocking considering my future dad's favorite show was Mr. Googly. "Uh, my sister says he's gotten edgier," Cory smiled nervously.

"Nice save," I said.

"Mr. Turner, we just can't relate to these characters at all," Topanga stated.

"Why not?"

"Because nobody acts like this," responded Shawn, holding up the book.

"Just because some guy says something about some girl, the girl wants to kill herself over it?" Cory said.

"It's just not realistic. Reality would be that the girl wouldn't care about what the guy says and move on with her life," Maya added.

I pumped my fist in the air as I shouted, "Whoo!" Mr. Turner gave me a look and I quickly shouted, "Not whoo!"

Suddenly, it seemed like an idea formed in Mr. Turner's head. "In Shakespeare's day, the play's the thing. In our day, I guess the thing is TV. So maybe we should put ourselves on TV and ask ourselves what we think about love, sex and slander."

Cory perked up. "You mean interview each other?"

"Kind of like a documentary?" Shawn asked.

"Exactly! All right, the school's got video equipment. Let's wear it out, okay? We'll split into teams of two. I want a video report. Interview your friends, your families and each other. Lets just see who's got the more mature attitudes, Shakespeare or us."

"Us," Cory answered confidently.

"Really? Okay, my mature young friends, pick partners."

I turned around behind me and quickly caught Maya's eyes. "Partners?" she asked.

"Forever," I said, then we flipped our hairs back and said, "Stop it," like we always do.

It was clear as day that Cory and Shawn picked each other as partners, but I guess Mr. Turner hadn't wanted it that way.

"Uh, boy-girl pairs," Mr. Turner stated. Topanga instantly turned around in her seat and smiled friendly at Cory. Cory, in return, gave her an awkward nervous smile. _Aw! My parents are so cute!_

I was tapped on the shoulder gently. I turned around in front of me and was met by Ricky's smile... I mean Ricky!

"Wanna be my partner Riley?" I was slowly sinking into his charm. _Oh wow, if only he wasn't from a different century..._

"I'd love to!" I said, trying very hard not to sound too eager, but I guess that was nearly impossible for me.

"I guess it's just you and me Maya," I heard Shawn say flirtatiously behind me. I turned around for what felt like the millionth time today to see Maya rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, whatever."

And that was where all the trouble started.

* * *

After class, Wendy walked up to Cory in the halls as we all (minus Topanga) were hanging around by our lockers.

Wendy flashed him a smile. "Cory! Wanna be my partner for the English assignment? I've got some really great ideas, we can talk about them at your house after school. I'll bring brownies?" she suggested in an enthusiastic manner. I mentally rolled my eyes. _Who was she kidding?_

Cory scratched the back of his head in an awkward way. "Uh, sorry Wendy, but I've already promised Topanga I'd do the assignment with her."

Wendy's smile dropped. "But Cory, you're my boyfriend. How can you want to do a project about sex with her but not with me?"

Cory shifted uncomfortably in his spot. "Wendy, it's not like that. Look, we can do the next project together, okay?" he asked, putting his hands on her shoulders to comfort her.

I suppose seeing Cory be so gentle with her is what calmed her down. "Yeah, that's fine. I'll see you in History, okay?" she said kissing him on the cheek before walking away.

"Ooh, look at the whipped boy," Shawn teased.

Cory scoffed. "Shut up Shawn! It's not like that."

Maya folded her arms across her chest and smirked. "Then how is it Cory? Because what I see is you not really liking Wendy and you're afraid to break up with her."

"I am not," Cory insisted. Topanga came up behind Cory with something hidden behind her back and tapped him on the shoulders. Cory turned around and lit up. "Topanga!"

She smiled. "Hi Cory," she pulled out her hands from behind her back to reveal a video camera. "I've got all the video equipment we need to work on the documentary. Can we work on it at your house?"

"Yeah sure. Oh wait! We can't. My parents are having guests over today and I'm not allowed to have anybody over. How about your place?"

Topanga shook her head. "Can't, my parents are remodeling the house for a meditation room. But that's okay. We'll tape everything we need at school today and then we'll figure something out, alright? We always do."

"Yeah..." Cory now had a warm smile plastered on his face. "We always do."

"That's the spirit guys!" I clapped enthusiastically. "So you guys are going to start the assignment today?"

"Yep." Cory nodded.

Shawn nudged Maya. "Hey Maya, we should probably do that too. Wanna meet at my trailer park after school today?"

With as little enthusiasm as she could, Maya responded, "Do I have a choice?"

* * *

I met up with Ricky at lunch with all our video equipment ready to start shooting. I knew what most girls in my situation would be thinking at the moment, _how was I supposed to work on an assignment about sex with the opposite sex? _I tried not to see it that way, though I liked Ricky a lot, I really wanted things to be as normal as they possibly could between us. I didn't want things to be like they would be with Lucas where I would just smile creepily and have nothing to talk about with him. This may have only been my second crush, but I was starting to learn a whole lot about relationships. Just like my parents were too.

"Okay, who should we interview first?" I asked Ricky as we walked into the halls filled with kids just casually walking around before the next class began.

Ricky held up the camera, pointing it to me. "Well, first I think we should have an interviewer. You'd be perfect for it."

"Really, why me?"

Redness started appearing on Ricky's cheeks. He ran his hand quickly through his blond hair. "Well, I don't know. Interviewers are always so kind... and very pretty." _Well, I guess there went that whole wish about things being normal between us._

I knew Ricky was already starting to filming me, but I couldn't help but turn as red as a tomato when he said I was very pretty, probably the most red that I'd ever gotten in my entire life. Even redder than the time Lucas asked me out and I was wearing ten pounds of makeup. Did that meant something?

"Hehe, okay I'll be the interviewer..." I grabbed the microphone and held it up just above my bottom lip while looking into the camera. "So, uh who should we interview?" I searched around the halls looking for someone, anybody that looked friendly enough to be interviewed. I finally realized that I barely knew anybody outside my grade. _This is going to be tougher than it looks._

"What about that guy over by the corner over there? He seems approachable," Ricky said, pointing to one of Harley's lackies, Joey the Rat, who was standing next to the water fountain looking very suspicious as usual.

I gave Ricky a look. "Joey the Rat?" I whispered, my eyes widening in the process. "I don't think we should. He isn't the most open person per se, and besides I really don't wanna get into trouble with Harley Keiner. He can easily get mad and trust me, you do not wanna see Harley when he's mad." I sounded just like any kid who had already gotten on Harley's bad side way too quickly. Was I scared? Why shouldn't I be?

"Come on Riley. If anybody can get him to open up, it's you! It's just something about you that makes people feel special." _Wow, what was up with all of these compliments? First I was pretty and now I can make anybody feel special? Not that I minded._

"Alright, fine." Hesitantly, I walked over to Joey and tapped him on the shoulder. Joey turned around and looked at me strangely.

"Hey, I ain't doing anythin' wrong here! What are ya lookin' at Sandy Baboon? Why don't you skedaddle and go on your merry way, huh?" It seemed like Joey was tampering with the drinking fountain, and I was probably right.

"S-sorry Joey, do you mind if I bother you for just a second?"

"Yeah, I do," he said, then he noticed the camera in front of us and raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Are ya filming me for somethin'? I don't need seventh graders spyin' on me so get outta here! Shoo!" Joey said, flapping his arms everywhere, trying to scare me off.

"No, Joey! That's not why we're here. We're making a documentary for English class and we'd like you to be a part of it. We just need you to answer a question."

"A documentary?" he asked.

I gulped and nodded.

"What's it about?"

I hesitated before responding. "Huh, we'll show you when it's done."

"So you gonna ask me a question?"

"What do you have to say about men and women and... huh... you know?" I asked, too embarrassed to say the word.

Joey scratched his chin for a second in thought. "Okay. Sex is very beautiful. Especially within the confines of a loving monogamous relationship. Preferably marriage."

I smiled, very impressed with his answer. "Wow, that's really well thought-out Joey."

Joey patted me on the back. "Hey, thanks. Hey, is it all right if I say hi to my kids?" My eyes widened. _Great, our assignment is ruined before it even started! _"Just kiddin' Baboon," Joey said before he left.

I turned back to the camera and faked a smile. "Well, that wasn't so bad."

* * *

It felt like eternity before Ricky and I could get just enough footage for our documentary. After school, we headed to the library with all our equipment and got to work.

As we were looking through all of the interviews, I came across one in particular. The one that we filmed of Shawn and Maya in the hallway.

As I watched myself on the camera screen, I felt Ricky move himself closer to me. Not that I minded actually. It felt kind of nice.

So there I was, twelve-year-old me in the footage holding a microphone up to my face. "How do you know if you're in love?" I moved the microphone to Shawn.

Shawn smiled as he stared off to the side. "Well, love is the most amazing, rare and precious thing in the whole world."

"Have you ever fallen in love?"

Suddenly, a smirk plastered on Shawn's face. "Five times a day." He winked at Maya before she pushed him off to the side.

I brought the microphone back to me. "Maya, what's your opinion on love? Help me out here, my grade depends on this," I begged my best friend.

Maya shrugged her shoulders. "You want my opinion on love? It's not like it matters anyway. I've never been in love before. Actually, you know what I think? Love is overrated. Valentine's is all about advertisement, I mean, where's the romance in that? And yeah, that'll be the day. When I find someone who loves me for me and isn't just interested in the sex-"

I laughed nervously. "Okay Maya! Thanks for all the help. Great job, I'll see ya at home, kay?" I may have acted cheerfully, but I remembered feeling overwhelmed with everything she had just said. Who knew this was what Maya was feeling inside? I sure didn't. Maybe I really was a bad friend. But I knew I had to have a talk with her once I got home. The video cut to blackness.

"Maya's really something, huh?" Ricky noticed. I nodded my head in agreement.

"Yeah, but she's a great friend. No doubt about that."

"So then what's the deal with her and Shawn if I may ask? Are they in a fight?"

I furrowed my eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well it's obvious they're a couple. Do they bicker all the time?"

"Um, no they're not dating." _At least I hope they aren't. _"Do we have anything else you wanna look over?" I asked, trying to change the uncomfortable topic.

Ricky shook his head. "Nah, I think that's good for now. Let's call it a night. It's almost eight o'clock anyway, we should get home." Ricky stood up from his chair and began to pack up all the equipment. "I can walk you home if you want."

I giggled. "But my house is right across the street. You don't have to do that."

"I want to," he insisted, smiling charmingly at me once again. _Oh, who can say no to that?_

* * *

So Ricky walked me to the front doorstep of my house. I felt like if I was in some fairy tale, or at least in a movie. Ricky was the gentleman, and I was the girl who was waiting at her doorstep, ready to be kissed. _Oh my gosh, was Ricky my prince charming?_

As all of this nonsense was running through my head, I looked up to see Ricky leaning over.

"Goodnight Riley," he said.

"Goodnight Ricky," I said, and then he did it. He planted a soft peck on my cheek again. It probably wouldn't be something that would happen in a fairy tale, but it was something. It was magical, nonetheless. Because for the first time, I felt like a princess.

I turned around and went inside the house. After closing the door, I leaned my back against it and stared off in a daze. I was a hundred percent certain I had a goofy smile on my face, but I didn't care. I hadn't realized Mr. Feeny was in the living room until I kept hearing him repeatedly say, "Miss Matthews?" as he waved a hand in front of my face.

"Hmm?"

"Is everything alright? You seem a little distracted."

I pushed myself off the door, that goofy smile still plastered on my face. I sighed happily. "I feel great Mr. Feeny." Without thinking twice about it, I wrapped my arms around my foster parent/teacher/mentor. "Thank you for everything."

Mr. Feeny awkwardly patted my head, shocked by my sudden embrace. "I'm glad Miss Matthews."

I pulled back and happily skipped into the living room, sitting on the couch as Mr. Feeny sat in his usual chair. "You know what the best thing about love is? That it comes in the least expected moment."

Mr. Feeny cleared his throat. "Though that may be true Miss Matthews, how are you aware of such emotion? I didn't have my first love until I was at least in my mid-twenties to early thirties-" He stopped himself before he could go any further.

An uncomfortable silence rose in the air. "Are you talking about Lilian?" I asked, the goofy smile had worn off my face and was replaced by a serious look.

"Miss Matthews, sometimes in life it is essential to cherish the moments you spend with the person you love. Never take them for granted. No matter how many disputes and misunderstandings you have with that special person, you will never end up hating them. Often times, it is what brings you closer together. To me... love is carpe diem."

"What's carpe diem?"

"Seize the day, Miss Matthews," Mr. Feeny answered.

"What about, you know. Sex?" I'd never seen Mr. Feeny's eyes widened as wide as they got right then. "It's for my documentary," I quickly said.

He seemed a bit more relieved then, but that still didn't change things. "Oh, alright then. Well um, sex is part of a special kind of love that you share with a very special person Miss Matthews. Only you know when you're ready to take up that kind of commitment- but not right now of course!"

I nodded slowly. "I know. That idea never even crossed my mind sir. Believe me, I know I'm not ready for that yet." I smiled and got off the couch. As I headed for the stairs, I turned myself around.

"Thank you Mr. Feeny, you always know what to say." I didn't really mind that Mr. Feeny wouldn't talk to me about Lilian. I understood that he probably couldn't talk to anybody about it, but I knew he would someday. "If you don't mind, I'd like to use what you just said in my documentary, with your permission of course."

Mr. Feeny nodded. "I'm always glad to help."

* * *

You'd think the next day at school would have been a little better for me considering the kiss and everything. Think again.

I hadn't seen Maya come home last night. After my talk with Mr. Feeny, I went directly to sleep, so I just assumed she came in after I went to bed and then got up in the morning and went to school early. Boy was I naive.

I was in the girls' washroom, debating on whether or not I should try on makeup now that I might potentially have a boyfriend. That was until Wendy burst through the door bawling her eyes out. She stopped in her tracks when she saw I was in there, and then went to go lie down on the couch that was strangely in the washroom. _Since when did we have a couch?_

Okay, so the fact that the girls' washroom had a couch wasn't what was supposed to be bothering me. Being my selfless and empathetic self, I rushed over to Wendy's side.

"Wendy? What happened to you?" Her mascara was running down her face, it was a scary sight. I put my hand on her shoulder to show a sign of comfort.

She wasn't even listening to me. Wendy was close to hysterical. "How can he do this to me? How can he choose _her _over _me_?" When Wendy said 'her', she said it in a disgusted way. I wonder who she was talking about...? _Oh no._

"Are you talking about Cory? What happened?"

Wendy looked up at me and glared. She wiped her tears away with her sleeves. The mascara spread a little on her face leaving smudges. "Well, if you must know, there's a rumor going around school that Cory and Topanga spent the night in the janitor's closet. How can this happen to me?"

"What?!" _My parents? What, how, when? Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god._

"Why did it have to be her? She isn't even nearly as pretty as me."

"Hey!" I shouted, getting defenseless over my mom. "Don't talk that way about Topanga. She's my friend."

"Well, I refuse to talk about her any other way. She's a backstabbing-"

Suddenly, in came Melissa and Hilary giggling about god knows what. They stopped talking once they saw Wendy lying on the couch with her makeup smudged all over her face.

"You poor thing Wendy!" Hilary over exaggeratedly gasped, running up to comfort Wendy, while Melissa stood emotionless, crossed armed beside the door.

Melissa smirked at me. "Riley, did you hear? You must be shocked to discover what kind of friends you have."

I had to stand my ground. Nobody, not even Melissa Harrington, the most popular girl in my grade, was going to talk about my parents that way. "L-listen Melissa, you don't know if it's true or not. My par- I mean, Cory and Topanga are not like that. They wouldn't do anything like that."

Melissa scoffed. "I'm not talking about them Baboon. Didn't you hear the rumors? Cory and Topanga are soo five minutes ago. There's something even bigger that _everybody's_ talking about." I mentally rolled my eyes. Why did I ever wanted to be a Popular? Why did I ever wanted to be invited to the popular parties and be like Melissa Harrington? Now I just didn't know.

"What's that?"

"Rumor has it Shawn and Maya slept together last night."

* * *

**IMPORTANT Author's Note: Yep, I did it again! Another cliffhanger! ;) (Thought I needed one since I haven't done one in a while).**

**I've come up with a solution to the updating problem. I had a Twitter account a very long time ago, but then I deleted it because I wasn't really using it, but then a few months ago I created another one for no reason really. Now if you look at my profile, you'll see that I've already explained it but basically, I'm going to use my Twitter account to tweet out when I will post each chapter. If I know I'll be posting a chapter late, I'll tweet it and you guys can check it out, that way you won't have to be worried that anything happened to me lol. I'll also tweet out when I've created a new comic strip or Tumblr blog and provide a link as well. This is just to facilitate things, and also another great way to communicate better with you guys. Follow me at: MimiFanFic1239 if you wanna tweet me something, ask a question, or just simply talk. I'm all ears. I'll also follow back! :)**

**Wait till you guys read season 4, I bet you guys will love it a lot! :)**

**P.S- So don't forget to check out my Tumblr Q&amp;A blog for this chapter for those who reviewed my previous chapter and now also check out my Twitter account for more update alerts! :)**

**Quote of the week:**

"Mr. Fe… he… he… heenay!" – **Eric Matthews**

**Seize the day!**

**-Mimi1239**


	26. Rumor Has It

**Happy March Break guys! Wow! When I woke up on Sunday morning last week, I was not expecting to get 25 emails during the night! Thank you guys sooo sooo much for the 23 reviews on Sunday, and for the other 6 reviews the rest of the week! Also, thanks to those who followed me on Twitter this week! DMS me whenever you guys want and I'll answer your questions if you have any! I'll try not to give away any spoiler or any special treatment lol. I want you guys to all equally enjoy the insanity this story is haha. Don't worry, you don't have to have a Twitter account to check my tweets. I'll try to post as often as I can about anything I can come up with lol. I watched the movie Flipped last week and noticed that it's a little similar to Shawn and Maya. Lol, except Shawn is the one who likes Maya and Maya is the one who doesn't like Shawn (or does she?). How would you guys react if I told you their emotions flip in season 3? Because that's exactly what I'm telling you guys! :)**

**Sorry for the late update but if you've been checking my Twitter recently, I said that I wasn't going to be able to update it on time since I went to my cousin's birthday party (it was actually very fun but I was very tired when I got home and slept through the morning). So I hope you understand and enjoy the chapter :)**

**Chapter talk: Welcome to the second part of the two parter. Last week's cliffhanger was probably one of the major ones from this story. Well up until this point it will be. There's still a lot more things to unravel and that will be happening very soon. For those of you wondering what's been going on in the present time, let me just remind you that that will all be explained very soon in chapter 29 _Confession Session, _with the return of a very important character. So this chapter is all about Maya and Shawn (I know you guys love them), but also about Cory and Topanga. Maya gets herself in a very big mess this chapter and you'll see why very soon. You'll see how she deals with this rumor (not so well).**

**I'd like to give a shout-out to those who reviewed my previous chapter: mflynny86, Stealth Photographer, jenna323.m, Ten-Kusanagi, GemniQueen, BMWandGMWfan, stephanie, mrs peeta mellark 2.0, emma, HK, Ali6132, LoveShipper, montypercy100, dobegirl15, Waffleslover98, Weridlover1239, stephanieeee, BagelsandBroadway, Glee Clue Rock 1251, CabbeLoverSAC22, Pebblemist of LightClan, Liseegirl, Girlmeets2015, hml1999, and harmonizergirl1202****.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

_People will say things about you, but you have the choice to listen to them or ignore them._

Maya's Point of View

_**Monday, November 7th, 1994, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 4:00 P.M**_

After school, I went over to Shawn's trailer park to work on editing the documentary. Was I thrilled that I was forced to spend the whole afternoon with him? Most likely not. Was I complaining? No. Why? I didn't know. Should I stop asking myself questions? Yes.

I knocked on Shawn's trailer park door like I had a million times before (except it was a little harder this time because of all the video equipment I carried in my arms). However, this time it would be different. Little did I know after today, things would be completely different between us.

The door swung open and Shawn poked his head out.

"Hey Maya! What's up?" Shawn smirked as he watched me try to balance all the heavy video equipment in my hands. How did he convince me to carry all the equipment over to his trailer just to watch me squirm, I will never know.

I glared daggers at the boy. "Don't just stand there! Help me with this Hunter!" I released my grip on all of the equipment into Shawn's hands. He brought everything inside and settled it down on his kitchen table. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair.

"You want a snack? Don't worry, my dad actually went to the store this time," Shawn offered, opening up his fridge to reveal a plate of leftover meat with flies swarming above it.

My eyes widened and something in my stomach started turning. "I think I'll pass." I shifted my eyes around the room awkwardly. "We should get started." I was about to make my way to my backpack which I had settled down on the couch when I felt a warm hand intertwine with mine.

"Wait, Maya?" I turn around to stare directly at Shawn's hand grasping mine. I glared at him and removed my hand away from his. "Sorry, force of habit," he apologized.

I mockingly gasped. "Ooh, the great 'Shawn Hunter' apologizing to me. This must be my lucky day."

Shawn smirked. "Yeah, don't get used to it. I only apologize when I wanna be a gentleman."

"So then what is it that you needed to hold my hand for?"

A smile tugged on Shawn's lips as he made his way into his hallway and came back a few seconds later carrying a black box load of stuff and settled it down on his kitchen table. "This is what I found in my dad's closet."

I raised an eyebrow. Chet Hunter did not look like a man who would trust anybody, not even his own son. It was as if he had piles and piles of secrets hidden just beneath the surface of his complexion. "He lets you look inside his closet?"

"Well, no. But I wanted to find answers about my half brother. He really doesn't like talking about him, especially when my mom's around. Not that I think she would mind, he is family after all. I don't know." Shawn shrugged his shoulders before taking off the lid of the big black box and pulling out a picture of a little kid with blond hair and blue eyes. My eyes reverted from the seemingly old picture of the little boy to Shawn's face and I could kind of see the resemblance. _Especially _in the eyes.

"So that's Jack, huh?" I asked, although I already knew the answer, except I just needed something to break the silence between us.

Shawn ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "Yep, that's my brother. Cory doesn't even know he exists, crazy right?"

"Well, why don't you tell him? He is your best friend after all."

"I couldn't do that. My dad doesn't even know that I know about Jack."

My eyebrows furrowed. "Then how come you're able to tell me all of this Hunter? You've known Cory far longer than you've known me."

He shrugged his shoulders. "We've never really talked about anything that has to do with my family. He just assumes everything's alright because none of my parents have walked out on me yet."

What he just said made me feel uneasy. Older Shawn had told me multiple stories about both his parents walking out on him in the seventh grade. If I was correct, that would be happening very soon and I didn't know what to expect.

"Yeah, I feel the same way too with Riley. Not that I can blame her though, she lives in her own bubble where everything has to be exactly right or she freaks out. I don't like to worry her with my own problems. I can handle them myself."

"Exactly! If I tell Cory about Jack, he's definitely gonna set up a meeting behind my back for me to meet him. I don't think I'm ready for that yet. With you, you just get me. Why do we always get the short end of the stick Maya?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Beats me." I stared at Shawn with a puzzled look on my face until he noticed.

"What?"

"What's going on? You're getting all sappy on me Hunter."

"I thought girls love it when a man goes all sappy on them?"

"Hmm, not this girl. And are you kidding me? You're not a man until a girl can't pin you down anymore."

* * *

Not really having much memory about anything that happened before, I was puzzled when I woke up in the arms of a warm body. I still had my eyes shut but I could feel the bright sunrise through the curtain window. I wanted to stay in this stranger's arms forever, no matter how weird that sounded. For some reason this person made me feel safe and secure, something I hadn't felt in a long time. I snuggled up closer until I heard the door open, and a woman gasping.

I fluttered my open immediately, and looked up to see who I was snuggling up with. Yep, Shawn Hunter. _Typical._

I jumped out of the bed realizing that someone had taken off my shoes while I was asleep. Automatically I crouched down to look for my shoes until the bed. By then, Shawn begun to stir himself awake.

"Mom?" he groaned, opening his eyes to see me kneeling down on his floor. His mom, Virna Hunter was standing by the door. I looked around at my surroundings and realized we were in Shawn's bedroom and that just a few seconds ago, Virna had caught us snuggling on _her_ son'sbed. Lord knows what was currently going through her mind right now.

"Shawn... what is this?" From the looks of it, whatever she was imagining was not good.

Shawn scrambled himself off of his bed. "What are you doing in my room Mom?"

A tear streamed down Virna's face. "The better question is what is Maya still doing in your room?"

Shawn furrowed his eyebrows together. "What do you mean? We were working on a school project and we fell asleep. What do you think... ?" It seemed like Shawn was starting to get the gist then because he stared at me with wide eyes. "Mom-"

"Virna?! What's going on in here? Ain't the boy awake yet?" Chet barged through the door stopping himself from saying anything else when he saw me there. _Great, as if we needed another person to add to the party. _"What's going on in here?"

Virna crossed her arms over her chest in a serious manner. "That's what I'm trying to find out Chet. Shawn claims he and Maya were still working on their project and they fell asleep together."

"Because it's true!" I exclaimed accidentally raising my voice. Then I realized I had absolutely no idea what happened after Shawn and I started working on the project. "It's true, right Shawn?"

Before Shawn could even open his mouth, his dad hurried to his side and patted his son proudly on the back. "Ma' boy! You ain't know how proud you're makin' me feel right now Shawnie."

Virna slapped her husband on his chest. "Chet Hunter how can you say somethin' like that?!"

Chet smiled sheepishly. "Sorry my Virna. It just slipped out."

Virna put her hands on her hips and glared daggers at her husband. "It is always the same with you, huh?" Then she turned to me and I was afraid she was going to do something that she may or may not end up regretting. "Mr. Feeny just called me. He's outside waiting to take you to school Maya. I want you to leave right now."

Without further exchange of words or looks, I grabbed my bag which was conveniently lying on the floor and got the heck out of the trailer park and into Mr. Feeny's car. I tried to show no emotion as to what just happened. _What just happened anyway?_

"Miss Hart, Shawn's mother just informed me she had no clue you had stayed over. Would you care to explain to me why I received a call from you last night telling me Shawn's parents said it was alright for you to sleep over?"

"Mr. Feeny, please!" There I went again raising my voice. Except this time, my voice was starting to break. "I don't want to talk about it right now. I just need to get to school." Without further a due, because Mr. Feeny knew that I was capable of breaking down crying right in his car, he turned on the car and began driving to school.

* * *

I had been afraid that the whole school had already found out about the incident. Did I have anything to worry about? Of course I did. I always did.

Walking through the halls of John Adams High this morning was different than it had ever been. Everybody started clapping and cheering like I had just won a gold medal at the Olympics. Shawn was thankfully nowhere to be seen, but I had a feeling he already begun telling everybody about our night together, and there was no way of convincing anybody of anything different now. It was far too late.

The fact that I was wearing the exact same clothes that I had worn the day before was definitely not helping my situation. I wanted to stuff myself in my locker, or hide in one of the stalls for the rest of the day. There was no way this rumor was going away anytime soon. And homeroom hadn't even started yet.

Before barging into the girls' washroom, I realized there girls in there talking about something. One of them was Riley. I pressed my ear against the door to listen in.

"Riley, did you hear? You must be shocked to discover what kind of friends you have." The girl who Riley was talking to said.

"L-listen Melissa," _Oh, why did it have to be Melissa?_ "You don't know if it's true or not. My par- I mean, Cory and Topanga are not like that. They wouldn't do anything like that." _What was Riley talking about?_

I heard Melissa scoff. "I'm not talking about them Baboon. Didn't you hear the rumors? Cory and Topanga are soo five minutes ago. There's something even bigger that _everybody's_ talking about."

"What's that?" I clutched my eyes shut, afraid that everything would change after Riley found out.

"Rumor has it Shawn and Maya slept together last night." I found it opportunistic to barge in at that moment because I didn't want Melissa to poison Riley any longer. Riley jumped while Melissa only smirked. "How was your night Hart? Is Shawn as good as they say he is?"

My face turned a shade of anger. "Stop spreading lies about me Melissa! I mean it!" I barked.

"What are you gonna do if I don't?"

I charged toward Melissa but was stopped when I felt a ton of weight put on my back. "Maya, please don't hit her!" It was obviously Riley, who had jumped on my back to keep me from hitting Melissa.

By then, Wendy and Hilary already ran out probably trying to find _someone _to tell about what was happening. Not because they actually cared about the situation, but for the pleasure of gossiping.

"I _didn't _sleep with Shawn!"

Melissa's smirk only got wider as she saw I was unable to attack her now that I had Riley on my back. "Oh sure like the whole school's supposed to believe that when you guys are practically drooling over each other all the time. This probably wasn't even your first time anyway. Who else have you slept with Maya?"

That definitely crossed the line.

"THAT ISN'T ANY OF YOUR BUSINESS!" I was losing it. I threw Riley off my back in an attempt to charge toward Melissa again. "How would you like me to break your pretty little nose, huh?"

Melissa's hands flew to cover her nose. She ran screaming out of the bathroom. I guess that was her weak spot. I turned to Riley and could tell by the disapproving look on her face that she wasn't too happy with me.

"What's going on Maya? Why does everybody think you did- you-know-what with Shawn?"

I sighed. "I went over to Shawn's trailer to work on the English project and we must have fallen asleep. His parents found us sleeping on his bed together and they assumed we had done more than sleep."

Riley gulped. "Well, um... did you?"

"No! Of course I didn't. I would never do that. But I don't remember what happened."

Riley furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean you don't remember?"

"I mean Mr. Feeny told me I called him last night and told him Shawn's parents were okay with me staying over and I don't remember ever doing that! I don't remember if I slept with Shawn or not!" I laid down on the bathroom's couch and felt a tear stream down my face. I quickly wiped it away because I knew that if I kept crying, it would take a lot for me to stop.

"What if..." Riley started. "What if this has to do with us being in the past for too long? You're starting to lose your memory and next thing you know, I'm going to disappear!"

I sat up on the couch and said in my most determined voice, "I'd never let that happen Riley."

Riley's eyes glued to the floor. "What if we can make sure that'll never happen?"

I raised an eyebrow. "What are you trying to say Riles?"

"Nurse Millar. Nurse Millar's our salvation. She's the only other person that knows the truth about us."

I shook my head. "But we can't just go to her now."

"No, not right now. We have to wait for the perfect time. Until then, we have another problem in our hands. There's another rumor going around that my parents slept together last night."

My jaw dropped. "What? Who would make up a rumor like that?"

"I have no idea. But I think it's the same person who's telling everybody about you and Shawn. The only person who knows what really happened last night is-"

"Shawn," I finished.

* * *

I wore a hoodie I kept in my locker for the rest of the day. My self confidence and morale were losing this battle. I had to find out for myself if the rumor about me was true or not. _How pathetic was my life getting._

Shawn had been avoiding me all day. He would run out of every class before I could get two words out to him. That was, until lunch came around and he had no choice other than to stop avoiding me unless he wanted to get a beating from me.

"Hold your horses Hunter!" I shouted when I caught Shawn in the hallway. He quickly ran up and hid behind Cory. In my opinion, Cory was a poor choice to hide behind because he looked as scared as Shawn. If not, even more.

"How ya doin' Maya?" Cory asked awkwardly, patting me on the shoulder. "Nice day, isn't it?"

I rolled my eyes and pointed my index finger at Cory. "_You _I don't even wanna talk to. I mean, how can you do this to Topanga. How can you lie and say you've slept with her?"

"M-Maya," Cory trembled. He looked around to see that nobody was listening. "I'm really sorry but everybody was hounding me. Everybody already believed Topanga and I spent the night together so I basically had no say in anything."

I glared at Cory. "And you think that's okay?"

"No?"

I scoffed and pushed Cory out of the way. There stood Shawn Hunter, crouched down with his eyes shut tight. I crossed my arms over my chest as Shawn opened one eye and realized I was standing right in front of him.

"Maya!" he chuckled nervously. "How ya doin'?"

"Save it Hunter," I spatted, taking Shawn by the collar of his shirt and slamming him against the lockers. "I have _no _idea what happened last night. All I know is that you know what happened. I want to know what and I want to know _now._"

"Maya," Shawn gasped. "I can't breathe, you're holding me too tight."

"I don't care. Tell me what really happened." Shawn mumbled something that I didn't catch. "What was that?" I asked.

"We didn't sleep together alright? Nothing happened last night." My heart rate finally decreased by a ton. I was relieved. But now I had another problem to worry about.

"Then why are you saying we did?"

I could see Shawn's face was starting to turn purple. "Can you please let go of me first?"

I nodded my head. "Fine," then I released my grip on his collar. "I'm listening."

"I did it for the same reasons Cory did. Don't you wanna feel important Maya? Don't you wanna feel like you belong?"

"Hey! I do belong. I just don't belong with you. And we've been over this popularity thing before. You and Cory are just a bunch of pigs who don't care about their own friends." Then, I did something unexpected, I slapped Shawn across the face as everybody stared in shock. I simply walked away.

* * *

"Mr. Feeny, I don't feel good enough for piano lessons today. I'm sorry." It was after school and Riley was in her room doing homework. I wanted to cancel the lesson for a lot of reasons. First of all, Shawn was an idiot. Second, I had to think of the right time to go over to Nurse Millar with Riley. Third, Shawn was an idiot.

"Is there something on your mind Miss Hart?"

I nodded my head. "You can say that."

"Care to discuss this with me?" he offered, seating himself on his favorite chair and signaled me to sit on the couch in front of him.

I smiled. "Haven't I always?" I took up Feeny's offer and sat on the couch.

"What seems to be the problem Miss Hart?"

I took a deep breath. _Here it goes._ "Well, you've probably heard around the school about what's been going on between me and Shawn."

"Shawn and _I_," he corrected. "And sorry, I don't understand what you mean."

I slightly chuckled. "Oh, come on. You've probably heard about the rumors right? You're Mr. Feeny, principal of the school. You've definitely heard it by now about the rumors of Shawn and _I _sleeping together."

"Oh." Feeny scratched his head awkwardly. "You're referring to _those _rumors."

"Yeah, but they aren't true. I still can't believe Shawn would do this to me."

"Frankly Miss Hart, I believe it is Mr. Turner's fault for giving you students this assignment."

I then realized something. "But he was trying to prove that we've come a long way... but I guess we haven't."

Mr. Feeny smiled warmly. "Perhaps we have Miss Hart."

_What did that mean?_

* * *

I went over to Shawn's trailer after my talk with Feeny. I felt like I needed to clarify things with Shawn's parents once and for all. That I did not sleep with their son.

"I know this is hard to believe but I don't remember anything about last night-"

Virna stopped me before I went any further. "That's alright Maya. Shawn already told us the truth. I want to apologize for what we assumed. I should have never thought the worse. Thank you for coming over here Maya."

I smiled politely. "It's no problem Mrs. Hunter."

"Yer welcome here anytime lil' lady," Chet patted me on the back before he and Virna went inside their room. I hastily made my way out the door until I heard a voice call my name.

"Maya?" It was Shawn. Great.

I turned around to find Shawn standing by the doorway looking at me puzzled.

I kept a stern and serious look on my face. "I only came here to make things right with your parents but I guess you already did. This still doesn't change anything between you and me," I said coldly.

He looked away. "I know. I don't blame you for being angry at me and for slapping me at school. I know I deserved it. Do you wanna see the final video for our documentary? We have to show it tomorrow."

I shot a glare at him. "No, I don't wanna even think about the documentary right now." An idea suddenly occurred to me. "You know what I want more than anything? My good name back. But since it looks like you won't give it to me, take me Shawn." I walked up to him and pressed my body up to his.

"M-Maya, what are you doing?" he trembled.

"Everybody already thinks we did it. Isn't this what you want? Popularity?"

Shawn softly pushed me back. "Not like this."

I laughed bitterly. "That's what I thought. You know what hurts the most? The fact that I thought we were finally understanding each other. I thought we were the only ones that always got the short end of the stick. But I guess I was wrong, because it's only been just me." _Was this true? _It probably wasn't.

I walked out of the trailer park and went on my way home.

* * *

I found a sulking Topanga sitting in her usual seat the next day during homeroom. Before going over to talk to her, Riley pulled me aside.

"I know this is the big day. I just wanted to say that I support whatever decision you make. You know I'll always be by your side, rooting you on."

I smiled at my best friend. "Thanks pumpkin, you're getting better at these pep talks."

"Well, I learned from the best." I hugged my little weirdo before going over to talk to Topanga.

I tapped Topanga on the shoulder. "Hey, how are you holding up?"

Topanga shrugged. "I don't know. I've never believed that there's such thing called hate, but whatever it is that I'm feeling towards Cory, I am certain that it's not good. I already told my parents about the situation and they think I should move schools."

My jaw dropped. "What? You can't move schools."

"Why not? Everybody already thinks of me as loose and easy."

I thought about it for a moment. "You know what's the one thing that's similar between us Topanga? That we both don't care about what other people think about us. At least that was what I thought that was how we were alike. People will say things about you, but you have the choice to listen to them or ignore them." A light bulb finally went off in my head. So this is what Turner was talking about. Love, sex, and slander. The girl in the book had wanted to kill herself for people thinking she had slept with someone. I used to think it didn't matter what other people thought of me. And I wasn't wrong. But how could I have thought going through that misery was any easy?

Topanga bit her lip to hold back strong emotions. "I wish it were that easy."

The bell rung and I went to go take my seat. I could feel Shawn's intense stare burn a hole on the side of my head. But no matter what happened, I forced myself not to look at him.

"Okay. Everybody settle down," Turner said. "First up, the tape by Topanga and Matthews."

"Ooh!" the class cheered.

Shawn and Cory immediately stood up. "Actually sir, we've decided to make this a foursome project. We've combined Shawn and Maya's documentary with ours. We'd like to prove a point. Is that alright?"

My eyes widened.

Turner raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Depending on what that point is?"

Shawn spoke. "You'll have to watch the tape to find out sir."

I tugged Shawn on his sleeve and whispered, "What are you doing Hunter? I never agreed to this."

"I wanna make things right. Between us."

Turner smirked. "I like this documentary already. Okay, set it up." I was tapped on the shoulder. I turned around to see Mr. Feeny smiling down at me. He walked over to say something to Mr. Turner. After hearing what Feeny had to say, Turner clasped his hands together. "All right, class. Mr. Feeny's of the opinion that our discussions about sex and love and gossip and slander can only lead to more sex and love and gossip and slander. I have to say, so far he's right. Now, I have not seen this tape, but I hope my trust has not been misplaced in you guys. Has it?"

"Why don't you ask them?" Topanga said solemnly, pointing behind her to Cory and Shawn.

"Matthews? Hunter?"

"I think if we don't watch it, we'll never know anything," Cory answered.

Turner turned to Feeny. "My student says we should show it."

"Well then, perhaps we should," responded Feeny. Mr. Turner dimmed the lights and pressed 'play' on the TV.

I didn't really pay attention to most of the video. I rolled my eyes at the part where Shawn stated, "Love is the most amazing, rare and precious thing in the whole world that you feel for a very special person." Then suddenly the video cut to Cory at his kitchen.

"Hi," Cory waved in the video awkwardly. "Look, I didn't want to be in this documentary because I didn't have that much to say about sex and all."

Topanga turned around in her seat to face Cory. "What's this?"

"The Special Director's Cut," Cory responded smiling.

The video continued with Cory talking. "And the reason I don't have that much to say about sex is because I don't have a lot of experience in that area. Some people think I do, but I don't. And if I let people think that I had some experience with someone, well you know, it really isn't fair to that person that I didn't have the experience with. So I'd like to say, I'm sorry to that person and I should have acted more mature. You know, maybe we haven't come as far as we'd like to think in the last 400 years." Cory sighs in the video and sits down. "Okay. Cut it, Shawn. Stop the camera, Shawn," he kept repeating.

"Okay, now tell her how much you love her," Shawn teased. Cory got up and snatched the camera away from him.

"I do not. Now tell everybody in the class how much you love Maya."

Shawn blushed. "I do not. Okay, maybe I do. Maya, if you haven't killed me already, I just want to say how sorry I am for all of this. I would never try to hurt you. You are more important to me than some status. I wish you'd know how much I really like you." Cory began making kissing noises as he held the camera. "Shut up man! You know you love Topanga!"

"I do not!" Cory argued back and the video cut to blackness. _Well, like I always say, boys will be boys._

My eyes reverted to Cory and Topanga.

"Friend?" he asked hopefully.

"Friend," Topanga smiled, shaking hands with Cory.

Riley smiled dreamily watching her parents reconcile after colliding with another mountain in their paths. And yet they still managed to climb over it. Like they always would and will. That was, until Wendy came over and hugged Cory tightly saying that she forgives him for everything. Riley just stared in disgust.

So I made a promise myself that day, that I would never let anybody's hurtful words get me down again. Not Melissa's or Hilary's. Not anybody's.

I turned my body to face Shawn. "So, you still want me to forgive you?"

Shawn started returning to his old self, and he smirked. "I was hoping you would."

"Just promise you'll never let me fall asleep over at your place ever again."

"It's a deal."

"And also promise me you'll never fall in love with me."

"Too late Maya."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**ANNOUNCEMENT****: I've been thinking about something a lot this week guys. I've always wanted to host a contest and I've formed the perfect idea all throughout this week. So I've noticed you guys are all eager to find out what happens in season 3 (let me tell ya, it gets good) as well as what will happen throughout the rest of the story. Therefore, the prize for this contest will consist of TEN SPOILERS send by me personally to you. There will be a mix of season 3, 4, and 5 (which is how far I've thought out right now). Below is what you have to do in order to participate!**

**How to be eligible to compete:**

**1\. You have to have some form of social media (Twitter or email) if you do not have a Fanfiction account, or if you have a Fanfiction account, it'll be easier for me to PM you. This will just be for me to send you the spoilers, so therefore, GUESTS are allowed to compete as well but they have to have some alternative way for me to communicate with them.**

**2\. You have to have reviewed every single chapter of this story. I will be checking to see if you have in order for you to participate. If you are a guest and have reviewed my story through multiple names, just tell me so that I am aware as I'm checking.**

**3\. After checking to see that you've reviewed every chapter, you must post a review with the following two options: your favourite quote from my story OR a suggestion for a future chapter. You cannot duplicate a quote so technically it's first come first serve. The best suggestion or most hilarious quote will win and there will only be one winner. (I know, sort of like The Hunger Games right?)**

**4\. This is a really important part that you must include below your suggestion or quote in order to participate. "If I win this contest, I promise not to share this piece of confidentiality (the spoilers) with anybody else." Please follow this rule because I really wanna make this contest fun and to keep you guys included in some way in my story and not have to regret about doing this.**

**You guys have till May 31st (the last chapter for season 2) to review all my chapters and send in your posts until I go for my one month-long hiatus in June. I prefer to have all applications in the form of a review. Thanks guys! Tell me what you think :)**

**P.S- Don't forget to check out my Tumblr Q&amp;A blog, Twitter for more alerts, and review every chapter of this story in order to be eligible for this contest! I'm so excited! :)**

**Quote of the week:**

"All I understood was that she was the girl I sat up every night thinking about and when I'm with her I feel happy to be alive, like I can do anything, even talk to you like this. So that's what I feel is love—when I'm better because she's here." – **Cory Matthews**

**Be kind to one another! See ya next week ;)**

**-Mimi1239**


	27. Play It Again, Maya!

**I know, I know. Really sorry for not updating yesterday. Once you read this chapter, you'll figure out why (longest chapter I've ever written).**

**Two days ago was my dad's birthday. I know he doesn't read this or anything but Happy Birthday Dad! Lol, he claims he feels like he's 17 when in reality he's 30 years older than that. Oh well, as long as he feels young, that's all that should matter :)**

**Now on a sad note: To the reader who reviewed my last chapter hiding behind as a guest believing that the only reason that I am doing this contest is because I want more reviews, I just want to make something clear to you: You are wrong. A lot of you guys have been asking me for spoilers and I feel the only fair way to do it is by making it into a friendly competition. I wasn't even thinking of adding the rule that you have to review every chapter in order to be eligible until I realized that I wanted to make this contest more challenging and the only idea that came into my head was that. There are a few of you who are already eligible to compete so I am not worried about the amount of reviews that I get anymore. I've seen lots of writers do this to their stories so I don't understand why someone going by the name of minergirl405 would think this about me. I just want to say one last thing to this guest: If you don't have the courage to make an account, say this directly to me, and stop hiding behind as a guest, or even think this about me, I suggest you stop reading this story. I don't need people who don't like me or this story reviewing. I've already got a few of those already but I've deleted their rude reviews as well.**

**Glad to get that off my chest. Moving on...**

**Chapter talk: So Riley has a huge problem, and that problem involves her crush. There's the big seventh-grade-dance coming up and Riley does not know how to ask him out. Meanwhile, Maya has a big problem of her own, and it involves her music and Mr. Feeny.**

**I'd like to give a shout-out to those who reviewed my previous chapter: alyssaunicorn, Emma, Esthernight, AliciaMae26, Ali132, Pebblemist of LightClan, CabbieLoverSAC22, mrs peeta mellark 2.0, Guest, dobegirl15, jenna323.m, Girlmeets2015, Di Blythe, BagelsandBroadway, stephanie, Nat-Marie, Liseegirl, Guest, LoveShipper, Glee Clue Rock 1251, and stephanieeee.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World. I also do not own songs Endless Love or At This Moment.**

* * *

_I did not care about those things. I liked Ricky for his kindness, sincerity, and the way he made me feel like the most important person in his world every time he talked to me. Why couldn't I tell him all this?_

Riley's Point of View

_**Tuesday, November 16th, 1994, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 5:03 P.M**_

Sitting at Chubbies with my three friends, watching Cory making a fool out of himself over and over again as he asked out girls in a monotone voice that were way of his league. There was this big dance coming up and Cory was desperate to get a date since Wendy went on a one-week vacation to visit some family in Canada and wouldn't be back till Saturday, in which case the dance would be over by then. After rejection number 12, Cory came sulking back to our table.

"Any luck?" Shawn asked, already knowing the answer.

"Apparently, it's not a good time to be a grandmother," Cory responded, raising his arm to point at every girl he tried asking out. "Look, her grandmother's coughing phlegm, her grandmother's hacking blood, and her-"

Shawn's eyes widened. "Whoa, I happen to know she has no grandmother."

"Yes, and somehow she blames me for her death."

"Well, at least you can't sink any lower," Maya stated, taking a sip out of her drink.

I peered over at Topanga who was sitting at a booth talking to her best friend Trini. I looked back at Cory, already forming an idea in my head.

"But you can't give up!" I exclaimed. "I mean, what are the odds that the next girl you ask is gonna reject you? The next girl you should ask should be smart, kind, and a great listener. Someone who you know, someone who knows you, someone who you know each other. Do you get what I'm hinting at Cory?"

Cory nodded. "Yeah, I do."

I clasped my hands together excitedly. "Great! 'Cause she right over-" I was about to point to Topanga when the next thing that came out of Cory's mouth froze me completely.

"Riley, do you wanna go to the seventh-grade-dance with me on Friday?"

Maya did a double take, her drink splattering all over Shawn's face, who was sitting across from her. Maya's hands flew up to her mouth to keep herself from bursting out in laughter at the sight of Shawn's face covered in coke.

"Man-n, I'm s-so so sorry H-Hunter-r," Maya apologized in between giggles, not doing a very good job of keeping her apology sincere.

"This is what I get for trying to sit close to you," Shawn said, before getting up and going to the washroom to get his face cleaned up.

Back to the matter at hand. I turned to Cory.

"Dad- I mean Cory. I wasn't talking about me. I was talking about Topanga, who is conveniently sitting right over there." I nodded over to Topanga, who thankfully did not notice the three of us were there. "Why won't you ask her out?"

Cory whistled nervously. "Uh... I think I'm going to go check on Shawn. He's taking too much time getting his face washed up and all... I'll be right back!" Cory zoomed to the washroom, leaving Maya and I frustrated once again.

"Okay, enough about being Miss Cupid Miss Riley Matthews. We know your parents like each other. Let's talk about who _you _are going to the dance with."

I laughed nervously, afraid Maya would find out my crush on Ricky. "What makes you think I'm even going to this dance of which you speak of?"

Maya scoffed, not believing a single word that was coming out of my mouth. "Oh, come on! You are so transparent Riles. We both know who you wanna go to this dance with, right? Well, Ricky Clark is standing right over there," Maya said, grabbing my chin and turning it toward Ricky, who had just arrived and was talking to a couple of people from school.

I smiled dreamily. "You're right. There he is..." Then I realized something. "Wait, what if he doesn't ask me out?"

"Come on Riles! This is the 90's. You do not need to wait for the guy to make the first move. Ask him out."

I eyed my best friend suspiciously. "If this were two months ago, you would have prohibited me from going out with Ricky because of you-know-what. So why are you encouraging me now?"

Maya scratched her head. "Well, I've been thinking about this for a while now. If you wanna go out with Ricky, I won't stop you. Knowing you, you probably won't get very far with him before we are back home, safe and sound."

Instead of being offended like other people would be, I took what Maya said as a compliment.

"Aw, thanks! So how do you think I should make my move? Walk up to him, pretending like I've never been to Chubbies before and ask him how to order? Or causally bump into him and start from there?"

Maya chuckled at my eagerness and put her hands on my shoulders.

"Whoa Riles, hold your horses right there. If we were in a subway train, I would gladly push you so that you can fall into his lap. But since we are in a restaurant and he is not sitting down, you would fall butt flat on the floor and he would really notice you then, but not in a good way. I think you should just go up to him and start a conversation. No bumping or pretending, okay?"

I nodded understandingly. "Okay, wish me luck." I shifted my body and made my way straight towards Ricky. _There's no turning back now. _I tapped Ricky on the shoulder. He turned to look at me and I realized that the two girls he was talking to were Hilary Flores and Melissa Harrington.

Ricky smiled at me, not noticing the death glares Melissa and Hilary were giving me.

"Hey Riley. I didn't know you came to Chubbies. Oh, you know Melissa and Hilary from homeroom, right?"

Both girls faked smiles and giggled.

"Y-yeah. Hey guys," I greeted, pretending like I wasn't afraid of these two drama queens. "Ricky, can I ask you something-"

"Ricky," Melissa whined. "Can you get Hilary and me another diet coke?"

Hilary pouted, putting her hand on _my _Ricky's shoulder. "Yeah, can you Ricky?"

Ricky, oblivious to what was really going on nodded his head, not wanting to be rude to the two Barbie girls.

"Yeah sure. I'll be right back Riles," Ricky said, leaving me alone with the two witches that were making my seventh grade life a nightmare already.

After Ricky disappeared into the crowd of kids, both girls dropped their smiles.

"Listen Miley-" Melissa started.

"It's _Riley_," I corrected.

"Who cares?" asked Hilary.

"Stay away from Ricky if you know what's good for you," Melissa threatened.

"Since when do you girls care about Ricky?"

"Let's see," Hilary said, counting on her fingers. "He's cute, kind, a gentleman, and he does whatever we ask him to do. You should have grabbed him when you had the chance Miley."

"It's- never mind."

Melissa snickered. "Rumor has it Ricky already has his eye on a girl he wants to take to the dance."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Where'd you hear that from?"

Hilary smirked. "Woman's Network. You wouldn't understand that."

Right then Ricky came back with the girls' drinks and they put on their fake act again.

"Aw, thank you Ricky!" both girls said kissing Ricky on the cheek. My face was beginning to turn red from anger.

"Was there something you wanted to ask me Riles?" Ricky asked, turning his attention away from the two witches for just a moment. Behind him, Melissa and Hilary were still giving me death glares again.

"Just that, uh... what did you think of Mr. Feeny's pop quiz today? Pretty hard, right?" I grinned nervously.

Ricky looked puzzled by my sudden random question. Maybe he was thinking that I was going to ask him something else? God, I hoped so.

"Oh yeah. But that's Mr. Feeny for you."

After not having anything else to say that would make Melissa and Hilary ruin my life forever, the awkward tension began to arise.

"I guess that's it. See you tomorrow," I saluted, hurrying back to where I left Maya seated. Cory and Shawn already returned from the washroom and were discussing what to do about Cory's dating problem.

"Did I just saluted?" I asked Maya, realizing my stupidity.

"We all saw," my three friends said in unison.

Too worried about my own problems, I didn't notice when a bunch of guys who were in their early twenties came up to our table and settled their guitar cases on our table. "Hey, you. Busy?" one of them asked Cory.

"You're not gonna ask me to the dance, are you?" Cory joked.

"What if I did?" the young man said, looking awfully intimidating.

"I'd say pick me up at eight, but no slow dances."

The young man rolled his eyes. "Just watch these for a second, all right?"

Cory nodded as the guys left. "I can do that. I'm not going to this dance with anybody. Unless by some magic, girls suddenly start to notice me."

Two girls, whom I recognized as Sonia and Sherry, otherwise known as two of the many girls who turned down Cory's offer to take them to the dance, came up to our table.

"Hi. I couldn't help noticing you," Sonia said flirtatiously.

Cory glared at the two girls. "Oh, you're talking to me? Shouldn't you be at the hospital visiting one of your many blood-hacking grandmas?"

"Why didn't you tell me you play?" asked Sherry.

Cory looked puzzled. "Huh?"

Shawn smiled nervously. "Cory, they're onto us. They've spotted our axes. They know we play. They like musicians."

Cory perked up. "Oh, well, then watch me pull this rabbit out of my hat-"

"Musicians!" Shawn immediately corrected.

"Oh, well, that's very different," Cory said embarrassed.

"You guys in a band?" Sonia asked.

Cory chuckled. "Are we in a band?" then, turning to Shawn, he asked, "Are we in a band?"

Shawn gritted his teeth. "Yes, you idiot."

"Well, maybe you'd play for us sometime?" Sonia asked excitedly.

"Yeah, we're gonna tell our friends we know you." Sherry added, before they both walked back to their table.

"You know, they like us because they think we're in a band," Cory concluded.

"I wonder what gave that idea away Captain Obvious?" Maya asked sarcastically, tapping her nail on one of the guitar cases.

Cory looked back at his best friend, who was looking at Maya with a loving stare. "I just love her wit."

Cory settled the guitar case on the floor. "Well, it doesn't matter if they'd like us for being in a band, we'd be total phonies."

"Phonies with groupies," Shawn added.

Maya scoffed, getting up and picking up one guitar case as I picked up the other to put it off to the side. "Oh please, what kind of morons would believe you two dimwits are in a band?"

Both Sonia and Sherry came back after watching us carry the guitar cases.

"Wow, you guys have roadies?" they both asked in unison.

"I stand corrected," Maya gritted her teeth. It probably took her a lot not to hit both Sonia and Sherry in the head with the guitar cases.

Since the boys were too preoccupied talking to Sonia and Sherry about their imaginary band, Maya got a chance to ask me about what happened with Ricky.

"Well Maya, since I talked to Ricky, I've came up with one conclusion."

"Which is?"

"There will always be other girls in this world."

* * *

"Fine, I quit!" I heard Maya say angrily from downstairs, clearly talking about Mr. Feeny and her piano lessons. It was the third time this week Maya said she quit piano because of a disagreement with Mr. Feeny and it wasn't even the middle of the week yet.

"What is it now?" I asked in a monotone voice, swirling a strand of my hair around my finger as I watched Maya stomp upstairs and slam our bedroom door shut.

"He doesn't wanna let me play contemporary music. Isn't that ridiculous?" Maya asked, letting herself fall backwards on top of her bed, covering her face with her hands.

"I don't get it, all you do with Mr. Feeny is disagree. What I wouldn't do to spend some time talking with my father's mentor." I whispered the last part, just in case Mr. Feeny had come upstairs without us hearing him and was accidentally listening in on our conversation, which I knew he would never do.

Maya's mouth dropped open. "You have no idea how much you're gonna regret saying that. All Mr. Feeny wants me to play is Mozart and Beethoven. Nothing from this century. I went to that music store down by the school and bought a copy of the piano arrangement of _At This Moment. _I showed it to Mr. Feeny and he refused to let me play it."

"Maya, there must be a reason behind it, okay? Mr. Feeny wouldn't just do that for no reason."

Maya sat up from the bed. "Well, I don't care anymore. I'm quitting piano for good."

* * *

The next day at school, I felt my stomach drop when I witnessed Melissa and Hilary giving Ricky air kisses before going to the girls' bathroom to check on their makeup. _Oh, how they disgusted me._

I walked to my locker which happened to be two lockers away from Ricky's and pretended like I didn't notice him standing by his locker.

"Hey Riley, what's up?"

I perked up. _I hope my plan will work. _"Hi Ricky, didn't see you standing there. Beautiful day outside, isn't it?"

Ricky smiled. "Yeah, it is. Listen Riley-"

"Oh Ricky!" Hilary sang-song, coming out of the bathroom with what seemed like ten more pounds of makeup. "We should get to homeroom." Hilary took Ricky by the arm before dragging him to Turner's class, but of course, not before giving me another threatening glare.

I rolled my eyes and slammed by locker shut in frustration. Cory and Shawn came up to me carrying guitar cases.

"What's that?" I asked, referring to the guitar cases.

"Well, I've got an egg-salad sandwich in my case, and Shawn has a peanut butter sandwich in his," Cory responded with a smile on his face.

I was about to say something but I preferred to save my breath. "I don't even wanna know. So Cory, have you asked out Topanaga?"

Cory scoffed. "Pssh, who says I was gonna ask her out? When Sonia and Sherry see us with these cases, they're gonna be all over Shawn and me."

Shawn spoke. "Besides, Topanga's going with Jeremy to the dance."

I furrowed my eyebrows at Shawn. "How would you know that?"

"Woman's Network," he responded. I decided that I had enough with the Woman's Network. "Shawn, can I talk to you... in private?"

_It's time for my Plan B._

After Cory left to go talk to Sonia and Sherry, I pulled Shawn aside.

"Listen, I know you and I don't really talk a lot since you hang out with Maya a lot more-"

"Has she said anything about me?" he asked eagerly.

I raised an eyebrow. "Uh, no. I just need your advice on something. How do you get someone to ask you out?"

"Well, normally it isn't that difficult for me. Most of the girls I'm interested in want to go out with me. Except for Maya, of course."

"But how do you do it? The hair thing doesn't work for me, I get neck strains every time I try to do it," I explained, massaging my pained neck with my hand.

Shawn rubbed his chin, thinking long and hard about my question. "Well, I suggest you be bold. You ask the guy out like there's no tomorrow. If that doesn't work, then my name isn't Shawn Patrick Hunter."

"Does it work?"

"Let's see," Shawn stated, walking up to Maya who was by her locker. "Maya, will you go to the seventh-grade-dance with me?"

The whole hallway gasped. Obviously, nobody was ever going to forget about the fake rumor of them sleeping together.

Maya rolled her eyes. "Hunter, I have other things to do than to be your date to the dance. I'm not going." Maya slammed her locker and walked away. Shawn walked back to me.

"See, it worked?" Shawn said with a forced smile on his face. _Great, not even Shawn Hunter can help me this time._

* * *

It was nearly impossible for me to find the right moment to make my 'bold' move toward Ricky. All Melissa and Hilary did all day was hang around Ricky. If it weren't for the boys' bathroom, he would never be alone!

The strangest thing about this entire thing was that the girls probably had no clue about Ricky's home life. That he lived in an orphanage and did not have money to buy them expensive jewelry or take them to luxurious restaurants the way they were so used to. I did not care about those things. I liked Ricky for his kindness, sincerity, and the way he made me feel like the most important person in his world every time he talked to me. _Why couldn't I tell him all this?_

I couldn't wait until I got to school. I needed to ask him now.

It didn't occur to me then that asking out a boy at six o'clock in the morning to a dance was probably not the best idea. But it was the only one that seemed to make sense for me at that moment.

I slowly snuck out of the house before the sun came out. I hurried over to the orphanage which took me only ten minutes. Instead of knocking on the front door which I was sure would be answered by Nurse Millar, I creep to the back part of the house where I assumed would be the window to Ricky's room if I hadn't forgotten, and knocked quietly.

Ricky answered after the third knock.

Rubbing his eyes, Ricky's jaw dropped in shock when he saw me standing outside his window. "Riley? What are you doing here?"

I smiled weakly. "I know this probably isn't the best time to ask you, but Melissa and Hilary were hanging around you all day yesterday and I just need to know-"

"Wait, I have something to ask you too."

"Let me go first," I pleaded.

"Okay."

_Here it goes..._

"Do you wanna go to the seventh-grade-dance with me?" I breathed.

Ricky smiled. "Of course Riley! That was exactly what I was gonna ask you."

"Really?" I smiled excitedly.

"Yeah! I just couldn't ask you because Melissa and Hilary wouldn't leave me alone. I really like you Riles and I would be honored if you'd go with me."

I tried to contain my excitement as much as possible. But it was almost impossible to do so.

* * *

Now that I had my date all set, there was another thing I needed to worry about. Cory had booked his fake band to play at the dance.

The four of us were sitting at a booth at Chubbies, wondering what to do about the problem. The guys Cory had contracted to pretend to play in the band bailed at the last minute. The dance was tonight.

"What are we gonna do now?" Shawn asked, after getting water slashed on his face by Cory.

I looked over at Maya and gave her a look. She caught what I was implying and shook her head.

"Oh, no. I'm not doing it. I play the piano, how is that supposed to help?"

"But Maya," Cory whined. "You're the only one who knows how to play an instrument. Can't you teach us something before the dance?"

Maya scoffed. "Oh yeah, the dance. The dance that starts in one hour. The dance that I'm not going to," Maya said, storming out of Chubbies.

"We have to find some way to go on," Cory urged. "The girls love us."

Shawn agreed. "Yeah, we worked too hard to get where we are."

"We have to come up with a plan," Cory said.

Shawn smiled mischievously. "You know, that's that's so crazy, it just may work."

"What may work?" I asked.

"The plan."

"I didn't tell you what it was," Cory said.

Shawn smirked. "That way, they can't get it out of me."

"Get what out of you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Shawn pointed an accusing finger at me. "Nice try."

I looked from Shawn's dumb look to Cory's worried face. _Oh, these boys are definitely toast._

* * *

I walked into the gymnasium wearing a purple dress with my long brown hair let down in curls as Ricky held my hand. I immediately spotted Melissa and Hilary with their dates. They rolled their eyes at me as they saw the two of us enter. Everybody stood around talking to each other, most likely waiting for the live entertainment which were Cory and Shawn. _This is going to be just wonderful._

I glanced over at the stage seeing Cory and Shawn just enter and seek through the purple curtains. I turned to Ricky.

"Can you get me some punch?" I asked sweetly.

"Sure," he said, walking over to the punch bowl as I disappeared into the crowd of kids and snuck behind the curtains.

Just as I entered, Shawn was peering over the curtains, looking at the big crowd in front of the stage.

"This place is packed. We're dead. Wow, look at all the girls. So many pretty girls." Shawn turned around and looked at Cory. "You know, maybe we can play."

"Shawn, we can't," Cory answered.

I waved awkwardly. "Hey guys. So what's the plan?"

"We got no plan!" Cory said, starting to freak out. "This is the end of the world! What are we gonna do?"

"I can't believe Maya didn't show up," I said solemnly, staring down at my shoes. I was tapped on the shoulder. I turned around to find Maya standing in front of me, wearing a light blue dress.

"Hey pumpkin." Maya smirked.

I hugged my best friend. "Maya, you came to help!"

"Well, at first I came to see these dimwits make fools out of themselves, then I thought, what the heck? I'll see what I can do. So what can I do?"

Cory clasped his hands together. "Well Maya, now that you ask. _The Exits _are not going on. It's all you."

Maya's eyes widened. "What? I thought I was just here to help with the background music."

Shawn smirked. "Well ya thought wrong. Have fun with your solo!"

Cory and Shawn were about to make a run for it before Maya caught them by their shirts and pulled them back.

"Wait a minute. If I go down you guys are going down with me!"

"Maya," I pleaded. "Is there anything you can do to save this dance? Why don't you play that song Mr. Feeny wouldn't let you play?"

Maya shook her head. "I don't have it with me."

I smirked mischievously pulling out the music sheet out of my purse like a magic trick. "Or do you?"

Maya took the music sheet out of my hands. "Riles, did you plan this?"

I scoffed. "Pssh, no!"

"You really want me to save this dance do you?"

"Can ya tell?"

"Well in order for this to work someone needs to sing this song..." I gave Maya 'my look' again and she immediately knew what I was implying. "No, I refuse to sing this song."

"Why not?" I asked.

"I'm not a good singer," she responded.

"Aw, come on Maya! You're an amazing singer in the shower!" Shawn exclaimed.

Maya's jaw dropped. "What?!" she shouted, about to charge towards Shawn.

Shawn put his hands in front of him in defense. "Kidding! I was only kidding! Please don't hurt me," Shawn begged.

Mr. Turner came up behind the four of us. "Who's going on?"

"Maya is," the three of us said in unison, pushing Maya forward.

"But it's a slow song!" she protested. "Nobody wants to dance to a slow song!"

"Yes they do!" I jumped in. "You'll do fine. You're a great singer."

Maya gritted her teeth. "Alright fine. Riley, come with me," she demanded, taking my hand and dragging me to Mr. Feeny who was off to the side of the stage, drinking punch.

"Hi Mr. Feeny," I greeted.

Mr. Feeny nodded towards the two of us. "Good evening Miss Matthews and Miss Hart, you both look very lovely this evening."

"Mr. Feeny," Maya started. "I'm about to go on and play _At This Moment. _I'm sorry about saying that I quit piano because I really do wanna keep playing. Riley here, told me that there must be a reason why you won't let me play contemporary music and I wanna know that reason before I go on."

Mr. Feeny put on a serious face. "Very well. Miss Hart, I have nothing against contemporary music. After my wife passed away, the first time I listened to _At This Moment_ in the 80's, it reminded me of Lilian. That song somehow always seems to find its way into my heart and make me bawl like a baby when I am by my lonesome. I apologize for not giving you a chance Miss Hart."

"Mr. Feeny," Maya said, almost lost at words. "I don't know what to say. I had no idea. If you don't want me to play it-"

Mr. Feeny shook his head. "It's alright Miss Hart. I think I will be okay now." He rubbed Maya's shoulders reassuringly and went to go chaperon the dance floor.

I turned to look at Maya. "Are you gonna be okay?"

Maya forced a smile. "I think so."

"Nervous?"

"Can ya tell?"

I gave my best friend a comforting hug. "Knock 'em dead rock star. Hey, new nickname," I joked, getting off the stage and going over to Ricky.

The curtains opened revealing a piano in the middle of the stage. Mr. Turner walked up to the microphone. "With great pleasure I give you Maya Hart!"

Although everybody was confused as to why Cory and Shawn weren't coming on, they still cheered Maya on as she sat down on the piano bench and placed her fingers over the keys. A microphone hung in front of her. After she started playing the first few notes, she opened her mouth and began singing:

_What did you think,_  
_I would do at this moment,_  
_When you're standing before me,_  
_With tears in your eyes_  
_Tryin' to tell me that you_  
_Found you another_  
_And you just don't love me no more_

The whole room started pairing up and started slow dancing as Maya sang.

Ricky looked in amazement at Maya singing. "Maya has an amazing voice. Did you know that?"

I glanced at my best friend proudly. "Nope, guess she never told me that before."

_And what did you think,_  
_I would say at this moment,_  
_When I'm faced with the knowledge,_  
_That you just don't love me?_  
_Did you think I would curse you,_  
_Or say things to hurt you,_  
_Cause you just don't love me no more.._

Ricky held his hand up to me. "Do you wanna dance?"

I nodded eagerly, letting my goofy side show. "I thought you'd never ask."

We walked to the dance floor, as Ricky put his hands on my waist and I put my hands on his shoulders. I looked at the floor, avoiding his stare.

_Did you think I could hate you_  
_Or raise my hands to you_  
_Oh come on you know me too well!_  
_How could I hurt you_  
_When darling I love you_  
_And you know, I would never hurt you.._

Ricky softly touched my chin, tilting it for me to gaze into his eyes. His beautiful blue eyes. I leaned in...

_What do you think_  
_I would give at this moment_  
_If you just stay I'd subtract twenty years from my life_  
_I'd fall down on my knees,_  
_I kiss the ground that you walk on_  
_If I could just hold you again __I'd fall down on my knees_

...and felt cold liquid being splashed on my dress. I gasped, looking down at my purple dress covering in red punch. I then looked up to see who had poured their drink on my dress, and caught Melissa snickering.

"Oops," she said, covering her mouth with her hand. "My bad."

_Kiss the ground that you walk on baby_  
_If I could just hold you_  
_If I could just hold you_  
_I would fall down, down on my knees_  
_Oh God, please_  
_Let me hold you, let me hold you_  
_Again..._

"That's not cool Melissa!" Ricky shouted to her.

Melissa glared at Ricky. "Jeez, I'm sorry for being such a klutz."

I felt like crying, but I was not going to give Melissa that satisfaction.

_I'm gonna miss you, girl_  
_I'm gonna miss you, girl_

_I can see the tears in your eyes, baby_

_I'm down, you know, I'm down on my knees_

_What do you think I would do, babe_

"Let's get outta here Riley," Ricky said, taking my hand as we exited the gymnasium.

* * *

Ricky and I ended up walking to Chubbies. He held the door open for me as I entered and climbed down the stairs. There was absolutely no one in the restaurant, well except for the waiters and waitresses.

"Wow, slow night," I observed, going over to a booth, getting a napkin and cleaning myself up from the punch.

Ricky shrugged his shoulders. "Everybody's probably at the dance."

After getting as much stickiness out of my dress, I threw the napkin in the trash.

"We didn't have to leave. I could have handled Melissa."

Ricky took my hand gently in his. "You deserve better than that."

"I do?"

"Of course you do." Ricky hurried to the jukebox, putting a song. He hurried back to me, taking my hand. "Wanna continue where we left off?"

I giggled. "Yes."

_My love,_  
_There's only you in my life_  
_The only thing that's bright_

It didn't even matter that there were people cleaning up the tables around us.

Ricky placed his hands on my waist as I put my hands on his shoulders again. He pulled me closer, and this time, I wasn't afraid to look at him in the eyes.

_My first love,_  
_You're every breath that I take_  
_You're every step I make_

_And I_  
_I want to share_  
_All my love with you_  
_No one else will do..._

I smiled. "This is absolutely perfect."

Ricky smiled back. "Not yet... Riley, will you be my girlfriend?"

_And your eyes_  
_Your eyes, your eyes_  
_They tell me how much you care_  
_Ooh yes, you will always be_  
_My endless love_

My body froze at the sudden question. _Was I dreaming? Was this really happening?_

_Two hearts,_  
_Two hearts that beat as one_  
_Our lives have just begun_

_Forever_  
_I'll hold you close in my arms_  
_I can't resist your charms_

"I'd love to be your girlfriend," I breathed finally.

"Can I kiss you?" He didn't even need to ask me! But he did. _Gosh, he's such a perfect gentleman. _I leaned in as he leaned in.

_And love_  
_Oh, love_  
_I'll be a fool_  
_For you,_  
_I'm sure_  
_You know I don't mind_  
_Oh, you know I don't mind_

At first, it all seemed like slow motion, but we ended up bumping noses.

"Ow!" I said, cupping my nose with my hand. "I think that just killed the mood!" We both laughed.

_'Cause you,_  
_You mean the world to me_  
_Oh_  
_I know_  
_I know_  
_I've found in you_  
_My endless love_

_Oooh, and love_

Ricky titled his head, pressing his lips against mine for the first time. I closed my eyes, feeling his soft lips move with mine, in perfect sync. Electricity running through my veins. _This is my first kiss, and it can't be any better._

_Oh, love_  
_I'll be that fool_  
_For you,_  
_I'm sure_  
_You know I don't mind_  
_Oh you know_  
_I don't mind_

Finally needing air, I pulled out of the kiss and leaned my head against Ricky's shoulders, blushing like crazy.

_And, yes_  
_You'll be the only one_  
_'cause no one can deny_  
_This love I have inside_  
_And I'll give it all to you_  
_My love_  
_My love, my love_  
_My endless love_

"Endless Love," I said once the song ended, realizing the song name with a warm smile formed on my lips. "Very appropriate," I concluded, leaning in for my second kiss that night.

* * *

**Author's Note: I have a long history with the first song _At This Moment. _If any of have watched _Family Ties_, you would understand what I mean. I always think of Alex and Ellen every time I hear this song. Give it a listen! Endless Love is another great song, which I am now obsessed with! :)**

**So I think it's safe to say that there's a bit of a problem with this contest. Just to clear things up, I want to say that when I said you have to send in a quote, what I meant to say was that it has to be from my story. So far only one person has done this correctly so I'm giving thanks to AliciaMae26 for being the first person to do this correctly and also for her awesome suggestion! Don't worry guys, you still have till May 31st to review every chapter and submit your responses. Remember, you cannot submit the same quote someone else already has. In terms of how I will contact this person, you don't have to worry about sending me your email in a review. If you check out my profile, I have posted my personal email so when I announce the winner, I need that person to send me an email and I will send the 10 spoilers then. I feel this way is easier than you guys being exposed and stuff.**

**P.S- Don't forget to check out my Tumblr Q&amp;A blogs and follow me on Twitter!**

**Quote of the week:**

"How do you accidentally kiss someone? Did she slip on a rug and your lips broke her fall?" – **Topanga Lawrence**

**Eat your vegetables! ;)**

**-Mimi1239**


	28. Fourteen Minutes in Heaven

**I know, don't kill me. I've been very busy most of this week. As I've said on Twitter, please be patient as I try to work everything out. I have Macbeth, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, and The Great Gatsby to read in English class, so I am quite busy most of the time. I will try to catch up with the chapters, but please stop complaining about how I am late with the updating.**

**Chapter talk: I know. It's **_**THE **_**chapter you've all been waiting for since Shawn and Maya met in the past. Since the first time Shawn caught Maya staring at him on the bus on Riley and Maya's first day at Jefferson Elementary. I may be going a bit overboard here, but I know you've guys have been waiting long enough. This chapter may not be what you expect, and then again I can be full of surprises.**

**I'd like to give a shout-out to those who reviewed my previous chapter: mrs peeta mellark 2.0, Emma, Twinletoes26, mflynny86, keke l, BagelsandBroadway, xMissWhitneyBexx, Giggles789, Ali6132, lola, dobegirl15, AliciaMae26, CabbieLoverSAC22, LoveShipper, Glee Clue Rock 1251, HK, stephanie, Girlmeets2015, AlyssaUnicorn, and Guest.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

_I was never good in confined spaces. I didn't understand why other kids like that kind of stuff. Making out with a person they barely knew in a dark, confined space._

Maya's Point of View

_**Friday, November 18st, 1994, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 7:41 P.M**_

It was that time of the month for me again. I usually tried to avoid having Riley find out about it every time it happened because I knew it bothered her that she was most likely the only girl in our entire grade who hadn't gotten her period yet. I knew it bothered her as much as it bothered me that I had mine. _Seriously, the first woman to have ever said that getting your period is the greatest thing that could ever happen to you was a liar and out of her mind._

I guess it was the cramps that bothered me the most about getting my period. And the occasional mood swings every so often. Sometimes I wondered (although it pained me when I did) if any of the boys in the grade knew when I was on my period. Like Cory and Shawn. God, I wondered if Mr. Feeny could tell? He'd never mention my period to me again since I first got it, and I was grateful he never did. Once a month he would go to the drug store and pick up a package of pads and I would always find a new package on my desktop in my room. I should have thanked him for always doing that for me. I really should have. If I hadn't discovered in my late years that men didn't even accompany their wives to the drug store from fear of embarrassment, I would have at least muttered a "thank you" to Mr. Feeny if I so happened to bump into him in the hallway.

But there was one thing I couldn't stop thanking Mr. Feeny that Friday night at the seventh grade dance though, and that was for him pushing me to be my very best for those two and a half months which he taught me everything I knew thus far about playing the piano. I'd never felt so overwhelmed yet so accomplished in the thirteen and a half years that had been of my life after my performance. And so I took a bow and and as I got off the stage to meet with Cory, Shawn, and Mr. Feeny, the adrenaline kicked in.

"Maya, you were perfect! I love you even more now than I ever have before!" Shawn gushed, and I only glared at him for his absurdity.

"Miss Hart, you did a magnificent job," Mr. Feeny complimented, smiling warmly at me.

"You really think so?" I asked, because in spite of all the cheers and claps I received on stage, I was nonetheless still insecure, especially about my singing voice.

"That definitely rocked Maya," Cory agreed.

"Well," I turned to Mr. Feeny and smiling widely, "I definitely couldn't do it without you sir. I can't thank you enough. Thank you for never giving up on me."

Before Mr. Feeny could respond to my gratitude, Mr. Turner rushed over to us with obvious excitement by his bright smile.

"Maya, that was terrific! Who knew you could sing like that? Did anybody know?" he asked, his eyes bouncing from Cory, to Shawn, to Mr. Feeny. They all shrugged their shoulders. "Did you even know Maya?"

I shrugged my shoulders as well. "Not really. There hasn't been many singers in my fam-" I began to explain when I realized that I couldn't talk to them about my family because supposedly I had none. "I mean, no I didn't know." I desperately needed to change the subject before the boys could question my mistake. "So Cory and Shawn," I smirked, turning my focus to them. "You boys owe me."

Cory and Shawn looked at me as if I were insane.

"For what? What did we ever do to you?" Cory asked confused.

I rolled my eyes at their ignorance. "For saving your butts! If it wasn't for me, there would be an angry mob of seventh graders chasing you baboons down to Mexico."

Shawn stepped in front of Cory as he flashed the same charming and suave smile I'd seen him use on all the other girls he'd dated.

"So what's it gonna be? A date? A dance? A kiss? Because I can uh, easily supply that for you," Shawn said before attempting to lean forward. I put up my hand in front of my face to protect myself from his lips touching mine. His lips pressed upon my hand, and I instantly felt a tingling sensation run up and down my spine. I tried to ignore it as he amusingly made out with my hand for about three seconds before pulling away and locked eyes with mine. It gave me a strange feeling of deja vu, because Farkle had done the exact same thing one time on the subway.

"What'd you think? Better than you expected, huh?"

As I looked upon Shawn's cocky and egotistic attitude, I had to keep reminding myself that I didn't like Shawn the way he claimed he liked me. Well, I had to at least _try _to convince myself that I didn't, just like Riley would tell me if she were anywhere in sight. Just like how I would tell her she couldn't like Ricky.

After chewing on my lip to keep myself from blurting out something that I knew I would regret later on, I finally convinced myself that I wouldn't give Shawn Hunter the satisfaction of admitting to him that I liked his hand-kissing technique.

I simply scoffed and tried to brush off the overpowering sensation I was feeling inside. "You call _that_ a kiss?"

"Well I usually don't go for the hand. I go for the lips, I can show you if you want?" he smirked suggestively.

I shook my head slowly saying, "You don't want this."

"Uh, guys? Can you stop with your flirting? It's getting old," Cory said, his eyes fixated on the dance floor as he was clearly looking for someone.

Watching him do that, I instantly thought of something. "Hey, I just remembered something. Have you guys seen Riley anywhere?"

"Wasn't she with Ricky?" Shawn asked.

"Yeah, but where is she? Did she leave already?"

Shawn tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to a cuddled-up, wrapped-around-Ricky's-jacket-with-a-smile-so-wide-plastered-on-her-face-it-made-me-frightened-to-think-where-she'd-got-it-from Riley. Ricky's arm was even draped around her! It made me wonder how they had gotten so close to each other in so little time. Heck, it took Riley almost a month before she could even talk to Lucas without stuttering or blurting out something embarrassing. And here she was in 1994, on her first date and she didn't look nervous at all!

I had almost forgotten that I'd been standing next to Cory and Shawn after focusing all of my attention to the two lovebirds by the gym doors when Topanga came up to Cory and asked if he'd like to dance!

"Yeah, sure," Cory said simply, not even asking what happened to Topanga's date which was good. At least something was starting to make sense in my mind.

After Cory and Topanga left, I was left alone with Shawn.

"Maya, do you still wanna take up my offer?" he asked suggestively.

"I'd rather not," I said, going off to meet up with Riley and Ricky by the gym doors. I knew that I had just blown off Shawn, but I couldn't think about him right at the moment. I had Riley to worry about.

"Maya!" Riley said, shocked to see me and quickly let go of Ricky's hand. "H-how was your performance? D-did everybody like it-t?" she asked me nervously.

I eyed Riley and Ricky suspiciously.

"Yeah, it turned out great. So what were you guys doing? Did you go outside to get some fresh air?"

"Actually-" Ricky was about to say before Riley cut him off.

"Uh, yeah that's exactly what we did. Right Ricky?" Riley said, giving Ricky a weird look. I knew right then Riley was hiding something from me, but I also knew I would find out eventually.

"Uh... okay?" Ricky said unsure of himself. At the same time, he sounded disappointed. "That's what happened."

* * *

I refrained from torturing Riley with more questions and just left her alone to spend time with Ricky at the dance. I decided to go home early since I had no one to talk to or dance with. Cory was with Topanga, Riley was with Ricky, Shawn was surrounded by a bunch of hormonal girls when I was just about to take him up on his offer of dancing with him (yes, I was _that _desperate to do something), but I decided to not bother him. Heck, even the chaperons were paired up! Mr. Turner was with Miss Tompskin and Mr. Feeny found himself a lady teacher.

I guess my two minutes of fame was over.

I unlocked the door and went inside the empty, lonely house. I had enough of playing the piano for one day. I was exhausted, so I headed up for my room. Changing into my pj's, I remembered the photo album in the underwear drawer. I opened the drawer and took out the dusty photo album, and turned to the page which I had book marked. The picture of Cory and Shawn getting booed off the stage disappeared and was now replaced with a picture of me singing while playing the piano in my purple dress.

Now I really made history.

I flipped through a few pages forward (knowing I would regret my decision to do so but was too bored to care) and a picture of a girl with long blonde hair caught my eye. This picture was in blank and white, but I recognized it the second I saw it. It was the picture of my great grandmother.

May Clutterbucket.

She was sitting on stage with a guitar on her lap and a microphone inches away from her mouth. My great grandmother was a young hippie from the sixties, and it clearly showed in the picture, for she wore a long skirt with beads everywhere, even in her hair! She was the girl with the long blonde hair. She was the girl who Riley's great grandmother met once. She was the singer. And now I was the singer.

It felt like it took an eternity for me to figure out how Shawn got the picture and why he would put it in a photo album that was given to Riley's dad about friends, family, and memories.

Did he really consider me family?

After storming out on him the day my mom told me she was moving to California and leaving me in the care of Shawn, I honestly thought he just felt pity for me. I mean why else would he care about a teenage girl who always got left all the time? A girl who always got the short end of the stick?

I would soon find that out for myself.

* * *

"Seven minutes in heaven?" Cory asked Shawn as the four of us sat down with our trays during lunch. The two preteen boys were discussing a make-out party which apparently was being held on a Monday. _Man, these seventh graders sure like to party._

"Yeah," Shawn said. "They pick a boy. They pick a girl. Then they send you two into a dark closet."

Cory furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Well, how do you find the girl?"

"With your lips," Shawn responded, smirking mischievously as I rolled my eyes.

"I'm gonna like this game!" Cory also smirked mischievously, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

I rolled my eyes once again at their immaturity.

"Oh please! Those parties are for desperate kids who can't get a date! There's _no _way I'm going to something like that."

I guess I spoke too soon, because right after I said that, Riley looked up from her food and perked up. By the way her eyes lit up, I knew she was up to something and I wasn't going to like it.

"Kissing? Tell me Shawn, do you get to pick who you go into the closet with or is it randomly chosen?" Riley asked, trying to make her question seem causal.

"Uh, it's random. You put your name inside of a hat and they pick a boy and a girl," responded Shawn.

Riley turned to look at me, a smirk plastered on her face. Oh no, that was her "idea" look.

"Window, window right now!" Riley exclaimed cheerfully, getting up from her seat to say it. Odd stares were centered around Riley by the entire cafeteria.

"Whoa, Riley," I said getting up, chuckling nervously. "What are you doing pumpkin? Are you insane?!" I whispered-shouted at her. "There's no window here, we're not in your room!"

Riley latched on to my arm, pulling me out of the cafeteria. "Come on! I have an idea!" she said, dragging me down the corridor until we reached a large window with a bench next to it. "Ta-da!" Riley said excitedly, throwing her arms in the air.

"Riley," I said in a monotone voice. "This is not a bay window."

"Of course it isn't silly! But we can make it one. What do you say? Let's sit down," Riley said, pulling me down to the bench. She sighed happily. "Doesn't it feel magical?"

I touched Riley's forehead, trying to feel for a fever. "Okay, now you've completely lost it."

Riley ignored me and continued on. "I have the greatest idea in the world! A master plan that can get my parents together!"

I crossed my legs together and crossed my arms over my chest. "Oh, you mean like the one you tried to use to get my mom and Shawn together?"

Riley smiled sheepishly. "Yeah sorry about that. But listen, this is bullet-proof! It just has to work! What if I go to that make-out party, tamper with the names so that my parents can end up in the closet together, and then let nature take it's turn for the better!"

To think of it, it wasn't that bad of a plan.

I nodded, impressed with Riley's master plan. "Great. Sounds smart. There's just one problem though, what about Wendy?"

"What about Wendy?"

"Uh, she's kind of dating your dad right now? And she just got back from her trip to Canada and I don't think she's going to be okay with your dad lip-locking with your mom in a dark closet."

"Oh, right. Wendy." Riley looked down at the floor, trying to think of a solution. "Well, I'll just worry about her later. What if she ends up with a guy she likes more than my dad in the closet, and then breaks up with him? That's possible."

I agreed. "Yeah, that's possible."

Riley pointed a finger at me. "But you can be sure of this Maya. There is nothing in this world that is going to get me from going to that party and fixing up my parents. Nothing."

And right then, Riley sneezed.

* * *

I was never good in confined spaces. I didn't understand why other kids like that kind of stuff. Making out with a person they barely knew in a dark, confined space? I thought I would never understand until that night, when Riley begged me to go to the make-out party in order to make sure her parents would be put in the closet together because she had gotten a very high fever and Mr. Feeny wouldn't let her out of the house. Poor plant.

So I had no choice but to go in her place, in order for the master plan to work.

Once I got there, the host told everybody to write their names and put it in two different hats. The girls would put their names in one hat, and the boys in another. Then, they would shake both hats and picked two names, then push the pair inside the closet. If the pair wouldn't cooperate, they would barricade the door until the seven minutes passed.

Yep, it was that serious.

"Name?" the host, who I knew as Larry from English class, asked me extending the "girl" hat for me to put my name in.

"Oh, no," I said, shaking my head. "You see, I don't want to play-"

Larry rolled his eyes and said this as if he had said it a million times before, "If you don't want to play, you get outta here, understood?"

I couldn't leave without fixing up Cory and Topanga or the plan wouldn't work!

"Okay," I gave in reluctantly, scribbling my name on a piece of paper and tossing it inside the hat. "Are you happy now?"

"Yeah," Larry said, rolling his eyes again, and moving on to other people. _Some people were just never meant to host parties._

I went to grab some punch when I was tapped on the shoulder. I turned around to find Shawn.

"Hey, I thought you said you weren't coming? Changed your mind because you wanted to kiss me?" Shawn said, plastering his signature smirk.

"No, but thanks for the offer," I retorted back sarcastically. "I'm here to get Cory and Topanga in the closet together."

"Why?"

"Because they make a really cute couple, okay?" I answered back, slightly annoyed. Mostly stressed. I turned my back to Shawn to get more punch. I was tapped on the shoulder again. Turning around, I exclaimed, "What Hunter?!"

It wasn't Shawn, but Gary.

"Oh, you don't seem to be in a good mood tonight," Gary said teasingly.

I gasped. "Oh, I'm really sorry. I thought you were someone else."

He nodded his head understandingly. "Yeah, Shawn Hunter. What is it with that guy anyway? How does he get all the girls?"

I laughed. "It's probably the hair. He has a special relationship with it."

Gary leaned his hand on the table coolly. "Well, it doesn't seem to be working on you. I like that. Even Hilary likes Shawn."

Oh yeah, how could I forget the time Hilary wanted to ask Shawn out and I ended up going on the date with him instead?

"She still likes him?"

Gary shrugged his shoulders. "Well, she doesn't like to admit it 'cause we're still together and all, but it's obvious she still does."

_Should I be worried about that? Why should I? It wasn't like I was starting to like him anyway... pssh._

"So what are you doing in seven minutes in heaven? Hoping to get lucky?" I asked, like it were the most normal question ever.

Gary chuckled and I was glad he got my sense of humor. "No, just that Hilary wanted me to bring her."

"Well, that's a girlfriend for you," I said, bringing my cup to my lips and taking a slip. My eyes never leaving Gary's.

We were just staring at each other for the longest time. I was really starting to like Gary, he was just so cool about everything. The problem was that I had forgotten all about the master plan so instead of trying to find a way to for Cory and Topanga to be put in the closet together, I was talking to Gary! It was only until moments after when they called Cory's name that I remembered what I forgotten to do.

"Next up, Cory and... Topanga!" Larry called out, before pushing the couple into the closet. _Whoa, wait. Was that just a coincidence or was I really lucky that that just happened? _"Alright ladies and gentlemen, we're taking a small twist on the game. To make it more fun, the couple who gets chosen next will be locked in the guest room for _fourteen _minutes in heaven."

Everybody cheered and wooed as I thought, _well my job here is done._

I smiled satisfactorily, about to sneak my way up the stairs and home when I heard Larry say the most repulsive thing ever. My name.

"Alright, let's see who's up next. Can it be... Shawn and... Maya! Yes it can. Everybody's_ favorite_ couple!"

I stopped in my tracks and felt a lump in my throat. I turned around to see everybody chanting my name.

I shook my head. "No, no. I'm not doing it. I was just about to leave now-" I said, about to make a run for it up the stairs when an unknown person grabbed onto my arm and started dragging me into the guest room. Everybody cheered as they pushed me in forcefully and locked the door of the dark room. I started banging on the door immediately. "Hey! Let me out dimwits!" I tried the knob but it wouldn't turn. _They really were serious._

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to see it was Shawn standing in front of me in plain darkness. The only source of light was shinning out through a small high window right below the ceiling. I could make out most of Shawn's features, but it was really hard to see him clearly anyway.

I rolled my eyes. "What?"

Shawn smirked. "They're not gonna let us out you know. We should just make the most of the time we have here."

I scoffed. "What makes you think I wanna do that? Yeah, I bet you say that to all girls you've been in the closet with tonight. How many times has it been Hunter? Six, seven?"

"Hey! I was only in the closet once tonight and that was with Melanie. She was all over me."

"Well, don't think you're getting that same treatment with me. Wait... why is there a bed here?" I asked, pointing to the queen-size bed against the wall. "Why would they want to lock us in a room where there's a bed...? Oh, I'm so _killing_ Larry when we get outta here!" I said angrily, balling up my fists in frustration.

"Maybe they think we really did spend the night together," he suggested.

I gave him an icy cold glare. "Very funny."

"Rumors don't go away that easily Maya," Shawn explained.

"I just don't understand how they think we can do anything in this dark room in fourteen minutes!"

"Well I've heard it takes people less than five minutes to do it nowadays." Shawn paused. "Not that I would know anything about that."

I rolled my eyes again and crossed my arms over my chest. "I don't care how long people take to do anything. I'm busting out of here before they open the door," I said, getting on top of the bed, opening up the small window which would lead me to god knows where and glanced over my shoulder to see Shawn staring at me with his mouth agape. "Are you coming Hunter? Or are you gonna wait here to tell everybody that I left?" I smirked.

"God, I love you more every second."

* * *

We both managed to crawl through the small window which lead us to the front part of Larry's house.

I grinned, looking around the dark neighborhood. "Nothing like a little rebellious act to end the night, right Hunter?"

Shawn smirked. "Yep, but you still owe me something."

"What do I owe you for?"

"A kiss for convincing Larry to put Cory and Topanga in the closet together."

My jaw dropped. "You did that? Why?"

"Hey, you told me I owed you for saving our butts at the dance, so I thought this would be it. Clever, huh?"

I furrowed my eyebrows. "So you want a kiss for doing that? I could have done that."

"But you didn't."

"But-"

"Come on Maya, just one kiss," he insisted. "It doesn't have to turn out into a make-out session if you don't want to. Unless you do."

I glared at the boy. "Please stop giving me more reasons for me to beat you up right now." I could have probably listed a million reasons for not wanting to kiss Shawn at that moment, including the one about the time-travelling issue, but the only one that seemed to matter to me then, was that I'd never kissed anybody before. "Why do you wanna kiss me so much Hunter?"

Shawn blushed and giggled. "I don't know, because you're different."

"Because I don't want to kiss you? Because I'm not head over heals in love with you like every other girl at this party?"

He shook his head. "No, because you're not like any other girl I've known. You get me Maya. You get my family life. That's why I like you."

I put my hands on his shoulders and leaned closer. "Listen to me. The last place I would want to kiss you is in some dingy room where some immature kids are waiting outside dying to know what happened and after the fourteen minutes are over, you go over to your buddies and tell them everything that happened. It would just be fake. Like it was just to make people that don't even care about us happy. I don't want that as my first kiss Hunter."

His eyes widened. "Your first kiss? I thought you said you've already kissed many boys in your old school?"

"Well, I lied. You happy?"

Shawn smiled warmly for the first time that night. "Not yet."

So I closed my eyes as I leaned in closer and pressed my lips to Shawn's. My hands were still on his shoulders as he placed his hands on my waist. Did I feel a spark? Maybe a small one. But it was definitely not what they made it out to be in movies and TV shows with fireworks going off precisely as the couple's lips touched. It was not as magical as that, but it was something that was starting to worry me.

I had to admit. Shawn Hunter was a good kisser. It was no wonder girls kept fawning over him like an army of bees would do to honey. Was that even a good analogy? Anyway, he started moving his lips first so I tried to keep up with him in sync. In sync, we were.

When we finally pulled away, Shawn had a goofy smile plastered on his face. I glared at him playfully.

"Are you happy now?"

His eyes stared dreamily into mine. "More than happy."

* * *

I decided not to tell Riley anything about the kiss between Shawn and me. She would have a heart attack if she ever found out what I did! After I thought about it some more later, I realized letting Shawn kiss me was probably the biggest possible mistake that I could have ever made.

So I wanted to pretend like nothing happened at school the next day while Riley was still at home sick. But when dealing with Shawn Hunter, it was almost impossible.

I heard around school that Cory wimped out and ended up not kissing Topanga in the closet, so I felt that to be a complete waste of time of me going to that make-out party other than to make more things complicated between Riley's parents and Shawn and me.

At lunch, I waited for Cory to come into the cafeteria so that I could talk to him about what happened last night when I was tapped on the shoulder. I turned around to receive a peck on my lips by none other than Shawn Hunter!

"Hey honey," Shawn said sweetly as I sat there, shocked out of my mind and afraid that someone might have seen that!

I grabbed Shawn by the collar, pushed him out of the cafeteria and up against the wall where nobody could see us. "Don't 'honey' me. Hunter, what the heck was that?"

Shawn stared at me puzzled. "Uh, it was a kiss? I thought you wanted me to kiss you."

"But we're not together."

"Then what about last night?"

I sighed. "Ugh, that was different. I don't like you that way Hunter. I _can't_ like you that way."

"Why not?"

"Because-" I started, but realized I couldn't tell him. "I have to go," I said, letting go of Shawn's collar and walking out of the school.

* * *

I ran all the way home. I needed to tell Riley about what I did. I couldn't keep it inside for much longer, or I knew soon enough I was going to burst.

I unlocked the front door and ran upstairs.

"Riley? You there?" I shouted, peeping through the crack on the door to find Riley lying on her bed reading something. I burst through the door to discover she was looking through the photo album. "Riley? What are you doing with that?"

"Maya!" she shrieked, hiding the photo album under the covers. "What are doing here at lunch? You should be in school."

"What are you doing with the photo album?"

Riley chuckled nervously. "What photo album?" She sneezed.

I glared at her. "Riles, you're the worst liar I know. And I'll forgive you for that. I need to tell you something."

"What is it?" she said through her high-pitch voice that was even higher because she was sick.

"Uh..." I started, and then pondered over whether it would be a good idea to tell her about the kisses at all. In the end, I thought I shouldn't. Just adding one more thing I needed to keep from my best friend. _What she doesn't know won't hurt her._ "We have to go see Nurse Millar right now."

* * *

**Author's Note: Yes, it happened! ****And for those of you who don't like Shaya, please just give a chance. Anyway, nothing lasts forever right? I want to give a shout-out to the person who suggested the second kiss between Maya and Shawn and that was Jenna Yu! Thanks! :)**

**Did you guys notice in First Date, Maya mentioned the 90s when she wanted Riley to go out with Lucas? It reminded me of the last chapter, when Maya mentioned the 90s when she was trying to convince Riley to ask out Ricky. Lol, isn't that strange? My favourite part of the episode was when Topanga mentioned Shawn and Cory's first date, haha.**

**So there's now a list on my profile of all of the quotes that are taken from the contest. Keep reviewing! (Refer back to chapter 26 for those who missed the part about the contest). Remember you have till May 31 to submit!**

**P.S- Check out my Tumblr blogs and Twitter account for more info and answers! :)**

**Quote of the week:**

"It's raining because God is crying. And he's crying because he created you and Topanga to be the role model of the perfect couple for the entire universe." –**Shawn Hunter**

**-Mimi1239**


	29. Confession Session

**I come to you guys with a very special chapter of the story. Questions will be answered, secrets will be revealed, friendships may break, and this will all happen in both points of views of the girls. Enjoy! :)**

**Chapter talk: Do I believe scrying exists? I have no idea. I've never been to a fortune-teller before but I have done quite a bit of research so I hope this is decent enough for you guys! Read on! :)**

**I'd like to give a shout-out to those who reviewed my previous chapter: Giggles789, DisneyLover16, Caitlyn S, Guest, harmonziergirl1202, alyssaunicorn, Emma, stephanie, Twinkletoes626, AliciaMae26, CabbieLoverSAC22, jenna323.m, Glee Clue Rock 1251, Hibabubba24, Girlmeets2015, BagelsandBroadway, Pebblemist of LigthClan, Weirdlover1239, Ali6132, Sibunalover4934, dobegirl15, Liseegirl, and LoverShipper.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

_They would be angry with me if they found out I was dating Ricky. I was disrupting the future..._

Riley's Point of View

_**Tuesday, November 22nd, 1994, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 12:15 P.M**_

"We have to go see Nurse Millar right now."

I sat up from bed, despite feeling sore all over my body from being sick. "Wh-what? Why?"

Maya ran a hand through her long blonde hair in a very stressful manner. "She told us she would come for us and she never came. That when she figured out how to get us back to our time, she would come to this very house, and send us back. How long has it been since she visited us? Five months ago. I'm tired of waiting. We're going to go see her today. There's no way we're staying here for another minute. Come on, get dressed and let's go."

I got up from bed slowly, feeling the pain and soreness run through my body like it would that of an old person. I was feeling too weak, and there would be no way I could leave my bedroom to go see Nurse Millar. "Maya, did something happen at school? Did someone find out about us?"

"No," Maya muttered. "I just feel we've been here for too long and we still have no idea how we got here, or what's going to happen to us. I still can't figure out the night I don't remember falling asleep on Shawn's bed."

"Maya, that's nothing-"

"That is something! How do you know something bad _isn't_ going to happen to us?"

I laughed weakly at Maya's ridiculousness. "Nothing bad's going to happen to us. Aren't I the one who always worries about everything? If I'm alright," I pointed to myself with emphasis, "then you should be alright too."

Maya gulped as her face turned as white as a sheet. "Uh... Riley?" she asked, pointing her trembling finger to me, unable to speak clearly.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "What? What's wrong?"

"Y-Your hand! It's d-disappearing!"

It only took me one glance at my see-through left hand before running to the bathroom to puke my guts out.

* * *

I stood side by side with Maya as we stared at the new-looking orphanage building where we once lived before the whole Martha situation. After freaking out and vomiting in the bathroom when I had discovered my left hand was starting to disappear, I was fully convinced that Maya was right and that we desperately needed to go see Nurse Millar- Evelyn Rand, or whatever her name was.

"You ready Riles?" Maya asked softly, turning to meet my eyes.

I blew my nose into the tissue paper I held in my visible hand. I had to wear a glove on my left invisible hand to hide it in case anybody approached us. "More than anything."

Knowing that it was likely all of her kids were still at school, it didn't take us very long before we hesitantly knocked on the door. No answer. Maya tried the knob and it strangely opened. Maya and I looked at each other weirdly, both knowing that the worst thoughts were in the other one's mind.

Maya pulled me inside forcefully, though I couldn't blame her. _What if Nurse Millar was robbed? What if we had chosen the perfect day to find her dead body lying on her bedroom floor? _These thoughts were racing through my brain; the more running it took down the long hallway, the more anticipation and worry grew within me.

"Nurse Millar?" Maya's voice echoed through the long and ghostly hallway as we neared to her bedroom. When we finally step foot in front of her bedroom, I noticed there was no lock on her door. Anybody who has ever lived with Nurse Millar would know she always locked her even when going to the bathroom. If she wasn't home, then why was her door slightly opened? And even if she were home, why wouldn't she close her door like she always did?

More bad thoughts were racing through my brain as I shakily pointed at the small crack in the door for Maya to see. I raised up my hand to blow my nose into the tissue, as Maya grabbed my arm and fearlessly dragged me into Nurse Millar's room.

I definitely had not expected to see what I saw when Maya and I first burst into the room. My eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room as I stared at a lit candle in the center of the bedroom. Except, this was not Nurse Millar's bedroom anymore. At least at the moment it wasn't. A light spontaneously flickered on. Nurse Millar was sitting closed eyed on a round table with the lit candle in the center of the table. She seemed almost unrecognizable. Even for the future Evelyn Rand.

"Wow Nurse-" Maya breathed, but was cut short when Nurse Millar, while keeping her eyes closed, brought her index finger to her matte red lips and shushed her. Maya didn't dare to say anything after that.

The beads on her puffy sleeve jiggled as Nurse Millar motioned us to sit around the table with her. Maya and I moved ourselves hesitatingly over and sat in two empty chairs that she had put for us. Nurse Millar remained with closed eyes. Maya and I stared memorized at her appearance. Nurse Millar had this mysterious look on her face, more so than usual. She was done up by makeup, she was covered in colorful clothes and shiny jewelry and beads. Her long skirt, I predicted since she was sitting down and the long red table cloth covered her legs, was down to her ankles, and she wore a scarf wrapped around her head with jewelry which I would later learn was called a turban.

Nurse Millar _still_ had her eyes closed shut. "I've been waiting for you for a long time children. I knew you would come today."

"We're so glad you're okay- ah-choo!" I sneezed, accidentally blowing out the candle. Nurse Millar opened her eyes to look at me. I smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, I'm sick."

Maya nodded. "Yeah, and we came here to ask if you can fix her up."

Nurse Millar raised an eyebrow. "Child, I am not a genie. A little cold will go away on its own."

Maya glared at Nurse Millar before motioning me to take off my glove. "Riles, show her your hand."

I hesitantly took off my glove and held it up for Nurse Millar to see through it. Her eyes widened slightly.

"Riley, when did this happen?"

I gulped. "Just this morning. And I'm really scared, please make it stop," I pleaded.

Maya started ranting on. "You see Evelyn Rand? Stuff's been happening to us since you left us. I've started to lose my memory and Riley's starting to disappear. You promised once you had it figured out you would come back for us-"

Nurse Millar slammed her hands on the table. "Girls! I haven't figured things out yet. If I had, I would have come back to get you. I made a promise, and I always keep my promises."

"Then how did you know we were coming?" Maya asked.

"Is there anything you can do to help us?" I asked.

"Girls, please," Nurse Millar said. "I am only one person. Don't worry Maya, your mild memory loss is only temporary. Riley, the more worried you get over things, the worse it will get. If you stop worrying, it will go away. Now, is there something that's been worrying you?"

There was actually. I just didn't know how to say it in front of Maya, much less Nurse Millar. They would be angry with me if they found out I was dating Ricky. I was disrupting the future. Maybe that was the real reason I was disappearing. The universe was punishing me for what I was doing.

"N-no, it's nothing. I'm missing home too much," I lied. Well, not about missing home because I was missing home, but about why I was worried.

Nurse Millar pulled out a tiny bottle from her puffy sleeve. "If you take a pill of this everyday, you're stress will go away eventually." I took the bottle from her hand and rolled it in my visible hand.

Maya raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Uh, I'm not an expert in medicine Nurse, but don't you think giving pills to an eleven year old is a bad idea?"

"Hey! I'll be twelve in three weeks!" I pouted before coughing into my sleeve. "I can handle a couple of pills, what harm will it do to me?"

"You have no idea," Maya responded.

Nurse Millar clasped her hands, got up, and starting rushing us out the door. "Alright girls, I appreciate your visit but I must get ready soon to pick up my kids from school. I'll let them know you stopped by to say hi-"

Maya stopped in her tracks, refusing to leave Nurse Millar's room. "Wait, that's it? Just a bottle of pills and that's all you're going to do to help us? You haven't contacted us in five months. We want to know how Riley's parents are doing. Maybe that'll help cure her stress."

I spotted a crystal ball on a shelf behind Nurse Millar. I pointed to it and coughed. "W-what's that?"

Nurse Millar spun around to see what I was pointing at. "Oh, that?" the thirty-something year old asked. "That's a crystal ball dear."

Maya rolled her eyes. "We know what it is. Does it work?"

"Girls listen, I know you want to get home desperately, but right now there's no way I can make that happen. I am sorry. That crystal ball has been in my family for many years. I used to practice on it as a child."

Maya smiled mischievously. "But does it work?" she repeated.

Nurse Millar sighed. "Yes, it does work. But it can be very dangerous. We may hear about things you girls aren't ready to hear. Are you sure you want to risk it?"

I looked at Maya before we both nodded. _What choice do we have?_

* * *

Nurse Millar had both Maya and I close our eyes and breathe rhythmically as she concentrated on the crystal ball. She told us to picture our lives in 2015 before the time-travelling so that it would help her see into the crystal ball. To put us in a trance. All I could think about was the fight I had with my parents before the time-travelling. Before my life changed.

Nurse Millar then began to chant something incomprehensible. Last time I had my eyes open, the room was pitch black, with the re-lit candle sitting in the center of the table as the only source of light.

"Do you see anything girls?" I could hear Nurse Millar ask after a few minutes.

"Uh, are we supposed to see something?" Maya asked.

"You're supposed to see the future," Nurse Millar responded.

For a second, I only saw blackness. I was starting to think how ridiculous everything was getting. I was starting to doubt her. _What if Nurse Millar was making everything up? What if she really couldn't see the future?_ I was starting to lose faith in everything I believed in for the past five months when a bright white light flashed behind my eyelids. I was officially in a trance, but I couldn't hear or feel anything around me. I could only see the bright light blinding me. For a moment, I thought I was dreaming, but the bright light brought me to my brownstone apartment back in 2015, and there were my parents, knocking on my door.

_"Riley, open this door this instant! You're too old to be doing this!" Mom yelled outside my bedroom door, knocking on it as much as possible._

_"Topanga, honey. Let me handle this," Dad said. Mom reluctantly stepped back to give my dad some room to stand in front of my door. "Riley, open this door this instant! You're too old to be doing this!" Dad repeated what Mom said._

_Mom put her hands on her hips and smirked at Dad. "Cory, I was just doing that. I thought you were going to think of something better to get _your_ daughter out of her room."_

_I almost forgot how 'well' my parents were at handling situations._

_Dad's jaw dropped. "_My _daughter? Topanga, need I remind you this was a two person job. Technically I couldn't have had Riley on my own."_

_Mom rolled her eyes. "Can we not talk about this? Our daughter has locked herself in her room because we don't want to let her go out with a boy. We're supposed to be driving to Philadelphia in a few hours and we haven't started packing anything yet," Mom whined, but was comforted by a warm embrace my dad gave her._

_"Honey, you start the packing and I'll get Riley out of her room, okay? Everything's going to be fine," Dad's surprisingly calm voice tried to relax Mom as he planted a kiss on her forehead. "Well get through this, alright? Just like we always have."_

_Mom smiled weakly as she started backing up into their room. "You promise?"_

_"I promise."_

_"You aren't going to yell?"_

_"Topanga, why would I yell?"_

_Mom walked back up to Dad and pecked him on the lips. "Because you're Cory Matthews. The King of Freak-outs."_

_"And who says I can't change?" Dad challenged._

_"Open that door and we'll find out."_

_Little did they both know I was no longer in my room. I would be sleeping in that abandoned warehouse with Maya and neither of them would have no clue where I was._

_"Riley?" Dad called out, entering my room with no sign of me once he finally managed to pick the lock on my door with one of Mom's bobby pins. Dad turned himself to give Mom a shocked look. "Topanga, she's not in her room. She's gone! She probably climbed down the fire escape!"_

_"Calm down sweetie. She's probably over at Maya's apartment upstairs. We'll go check."_

_Uncle Shawn burst into my room with a worried expression on his face. "Has any of you seen Maya? She ran out of the bakery after I told her the news. She didn't take it so well. Where's Riley?"_

_"Shawn," Dad said, his worried face growing more anxious by the second. "Riley's gone. We assumed she's with Maya but you're telling us she's gone too?!"_

_"They couldn't have gotten that far in this weather," Mom said, trying to comfort the worried men, though it was obvious the distressed look on her face wasn't helping very much._

_"We need to act now guys," Uncle Shawn spoke. "Your daughter and her best friend are missing in the blizzard. We need to call the police."_

_"Where's Auggie?" Dad asked urgently to Mom._

_"He's downstairs with Mrs. Svorski. Shawn, can you-"_

_"You don't even have to ask Topanga," Uncle Shawn said, resting his hand on Mom's shoulder to show comfort before he jogged downstairs to get Auggie._

_"What are we going to do Cory? Our daughter and her best friend are missing! I'm scared," Mom said, breaking into tears she'd been holding in long enough so that Uncle Shawn wouldn't see her crying._

_"I don't know Topanga," Dad said, wrapping his arms around Mom and burying his face into her long thick hair. Despite that, I could still see he was starting to tear up as well. "But I'll find them. I won't stop looking until they're safe and sound here with us."_

_"Cory!" Mom said as Dad was about to walk out the door. "Be careful, okay? I love you."_

_"I love you too Topanga."_

_It pained me so much to see how much my parents were suffering because of the mistake I made of leaving my room. Seeing all of this unfold before me was making me want to jump into my parents arms and cry out, "I'm here! I'm safe! You don't have to worry about finding me! Can't you see I'm right here? I'm here, please look at me! I love you guys... so much." But I couldn't, that was the sad thing. I couldn't do anything about it._

_Mom dug for her cellphone in her pocket and dialed the number as Dad left to go look for Maya and me in the cold blizzard._

_"Hello?" Mom said into the phone. "My daughter and her friend are missing..."_

I was unable to move in the trance Nurse Millar had put me in. Or I would have started kicking and screaming to get to my parents, who only existed in my head. I opened my eyes, realizing that I was crying a little, like someone would after experiencing a nightmare. I turned to look at Maya who had just woken up as well.

"What just happened? Why couldn't we talk to them? Why couldn't we tell them we're okay?" Maya asked, wiping a small tear off her face.

"Girls, you must understand I am trying my best to help you out. You must understand how difficult and complex time-travelling really is," Nurse Millar tried to explain.

"Will my parents be okay? How did we get here?" I asked.

"You must know why Nurse. You do, don't you?" Maya asked suspiciously.

The young nurse was to argue but she stopped herself and sighed. "You're parents will be fine Riley. Because we are in the past, none of this hasn't happened yet. We can still change it... and I do. Yes, I do," Nurse Millar confessed. "I managed to figure it out a while back-"

Maya stopped her. "How long ago?"

"A year ago."

"What? How could you not tell us? I thought we could trust you?" Maya said, with a hurt look on her face.

"Please girls, I only do all of this to protect you. The reason why I didn't tell you was because I wasn't completely sure it was true. What day did you time-travelling?"

I had to rack my brains around this one for a moment, partially because I was sick, and partially because I was feeling a little dizzy after the vision.

"It was the day before Valentine's Day, right?" I asked.

"Friday the 13th," Maya said, realizing what Nurse Millar was hinting at. "But that's crazy, isn't it? It's just a superstition, nobody believes anything bad really happens on Friday the 13th."

Nurse Millar chuckled. "This is why I couldn't tell you until I was fully sure. But yes, now I do believe this could be the cause of your transportation."

"But that isn't possible-" Maya tried to argue until I cut her off.

"Maya, we're in 1994. Anything is possible now."

"Now, I must warn you," Nurse Millar began. "Something isn't right. I've started having visions in my sleep recently and they are not good. This is the reason why I wanted you here today." Nurse Millar put the tips of her index fingers against each side of her temple and closed her eyes, trying to concentrate. "I feel there are many secrets hidden between the two of you. Distrusting each other is not an option here."

"W-what do you mean?" I asked, looking over at Maya who seemed to tense up. Was she hiding something from me? No, she wouldn't, would she? But I was definitely hiding something from her.

"The two of you don't realize the harm you are causing one another. The bad choices that are making not helping anybody. You are taking a step back, instead of a step forward into your life. If you really want to see your parents again Riley, I suggest you tell each other everything."

Maya scoffed. "I have nothing to hide. I would _never_ keep secrets from Riley."

Nurse Millar opened her eyes to look at Maya and smirked. "Oh, really? There isn't anything you'd want to tell Riley right now? Something that has to do with Shawn? Or should I? Secrets always have a way of coming out."

I raised an eyebrow at my friend. "Maya, what's she talking about? What about Shawn?" Oh, I was starting to imagine the worse.

Maya shifted in her seat uncomfortable. "Nothing Riles, let's get outta here." Maya stood up, grabbed me by the arm, and began dragging me out of Nurse Millar's room before Nurse Millar said something.

Nurse Millar called out, "Riley, isn't there anything you'd like to say to Maya? About Ricky?"

Maya stopped in her tracks and dragged me back into the room. "What? What about Ricky?" she asked, sitting back in her chair.

I normally didn't, but I was starting to regret coming to the orphanage. _Why was Nurse Millar making us do this to each other?_

"Maya, if I tell you, you promise you won't freak out? And you have to tell me your secret about Shawn, deal?"

Maya thought about it for a moment. She rolled her eyes and said, "Deal."

We counted to three, before we both blurted out our secrets simultaneously to each other.

"I'm dating Ricky!"

"I kissed Shawn!"

* * *

_Now that I knew Riley and Ricky were dating behind my back, I had to find a way to convince Riley to break up with him, or break the pair up myself.._

Maya's Point of View

**_Tuesday, November 22nd, 1994, Philadelphia_**

**_Past time, 12:54 P.M_**

I felt like my jaw would have dropped to the floor if it wasn't, you know, attached to my face and all.

"What?! You're dating Ricky? How could you do that?" I shouted, my face turning red with anger.

"Maya! You said you wouldn't freak out!" Riley argued.

"Oh, it's too late. I'm freaking out right now!"

Riley's face appeared to show disgust after a few seconds. "Ew! How could you kiss my uncle? You know how gross that is?"

"Technically Riles, he's not your uncle. He's your dad's best friend."

"And that's supposed to make it okay?-"

"Girls!" Nurse Millar shouted, stopping us from shouting more. "I appreciate all the arguing but I've got to get ready to go pick up my kids. I'm already ten minutes late. I'd like for you to leave now."

* * *

I stormed out of the orphanage in anger and ran back to school, leaving Riley alone to walk home. I often didn't say this but I felt the best place for me to think about what I just found out was at school. I couldn't believe Riley. I just couldn't.

I walked into Mr. Feeny's class out of breath. The whole class turned to look at me as I gasped for air.

"I-I'm here sir. What did I miss?"

"The entire class, Miss Hart," Mr. Feeny said dryly, right as the bell rung and everybody scurried out to get to their lockers. All except for Shawn, who remained in his seat. Mr. Feeny grabbed a pen and a pad, and began writing me a detention slip. He handed it over to me once he finished and I held it awkwardly in my hand, then gave it back to him.

"You're on duty for detention today, aren't you?" I asked weakly.

Mr. Feeny nodded his head and walked behind his desk to take a seat. "Precisely Miss Hart. Have a seat in your usual chair."

I sighed and sat at the back beside Shawn.

"Hey Maya," Shawn greeted, winking at me. Guess he forgot about our little argument at lunch... great.

"If you would just let me explain-" I started to say to Mr. Feeny, but was cut off by him.

"I do not need an explanation Miss Hart. I've had millions of them in all my years of teaching. Not one of them has been believable."

I let it go there, because I knew that the excuse 'I went to go see a psychic nurse with Riley to get answers on why we were sent to the past' was going to be far from believable. I just had a feeling.

When Mr. Feeny wasn't looking, I passed Shawn a note.

_What are you doing in detention anyway? -Maya_

_The usual. -Shawn_

_What's the usual? -Maya_

_You name it. Not handing in my homework on time, passing around a football with Cory in the halls, being late to class... -Shawn_

I stopped passing notes with Shawn after that. He would probably think I was into him if I continued to act sweetly toward him, which I didn't want to do. Now that I knew Riley and Ricky were dating behind my back, I had to find a way to convince Riley to break up with him, or break the pair up myself. I know that sounded terrible, but there was no other way for us. We didn't have a choice now.

* * *

After the hour passed and Mr. Feeny let us leave detention, Shawn and I walked down the halls of the empty school. Just before we got to the doors, I put my hand on top of Shawn's to stop him from opening the door.

"Shawn? Can we talk for a sec?"

Shawn stopped immediately and stared dreamily into my eyes. "Anything you want."

_What's with it with this guy?_

"I know you like me and all, but that kiss we had last night didn't mean anything, you know that right?"

"Maya," Shawn said, putting his hands on my arms. "People don't kiss like that without it not meaning anything. I really like you." He was about to lean in before I moved my face away.

"B-but we can't. I'm sorry," I apologized, pushing the door open and running home.

* * *

"Riley? You home? Hello?" I said, jogging up the stairs, holding on to the railing. Mr. Feeny said he was going grocery shopping before I left the school so I didn't have to worry about him being home when I confronted Riley.

"Yeah, I'm here," Riley's groggy voice echoed through the hallway. I opened our bedroom door to find Riley sprawled on her bed with tissue paper scattered everywhere. "I think I'm dying Maya."

I couldn't take her seriously; I knew it was just the fever talking.

"Are you still angry with me?"

She shook her head with her eyes closed. "No, not angry with you. Disappointed? Yes."

I sat on Riley's bed and petted Riley's head. "Well I'm disappointed in you too pumpkin. I straightened things out with Shawn. He doesn't like me anymore."

_Okay, I just lied again, but it was to protect the plant!_

Riley showed me her hand, which was beginning to be visible again. "My hand's better, thanks for asking."

"Oh right!" I said, playing poking Riley in the ribs with my index finger. "Are the pills working out for you?"

"Yep, Nurse Millar sure knows what she's doing."

"That's good," I responded.

Riley sat up and put her rested her elbows on her knees with her head on her hands. "Promise me something Maya?"

"Yeah?"

"That we'll never keep secrets from each other again or lie to each other again? And most importantly, never fight over boys?"

I smiled warmly at my best friend. "Alright, deal," I said, and we did our signature hand shake with the 'stop it' part at the end. "Are you going to break up with Ricky?"

"Please don't make me do that-" she pleaded.

"Ah, ah, ah. You promised Riles. Sisters before misters, right?"

Riley sighed grumpily, blowing her nose into her tissue paper. "Fine."

* * *

**Author's Note: (Read if you believe cyber-bullying is not okay) *I am tired of the countless rude reviews I get from ungrateful people. If you guys have checked my Twitter recently, you would have seen that I screenshotted a review left by a guest on my Home is the Hart of the Holidays story and hash-tagged it #cyberbully, because that's exactly what it is. It doesn't bother me as much as what the person said, but what really bothers me is that this person "Lola" believes she can get away with it just because she reviewed as a guest instead of with an account. I would like for the next person who gives me a rude review to be at least logged into their account. If you have enough time to be leaving rude reviews on people's stories, at least be brave enough to do it on an account. Straight up tell me how you feel about my story, everybody is entitled to their own opinion, I get that. But please, don't hide or I will keep making your reviews noticed to everybody and I don't think that's what you want. Believe me, I can do wonders.***

**Sorry guys for that but as all of you know I don't tolerate rude behavior on my story. This is supposed to be a hobby of mine and I want all of you to enjoy it. Thanks for all the love and support. Next chapter will come tomorrow hopefully! :)**

**I know you guys are pretty sad about their breakups and all but don't worry, nothing gold can stay ;)**

**For all you PLL lovers, I am currently co-writing a PLL story with my good friend, Writingisbeauty. That will be coming out next week so look out for that! :)**

**P.S- Don't forget to check out my Twitter account (follow me and I'll follow back), check out my Bitstrips (new ones soon!) and Tumblr Q&amp;A blog. What do you guys think about an Instagram account?**

**Quote of the week:**

"When did this school get a library?" –**Eric Matthew**

**-Mimi1239**


	30. Tough Chicks Don't Cry

**Hey guys! Longest chapter ever just to make up for the wait. I know it's been forever since I've updated but please try to bare with me. I will most likely be updating every few days until I am caught up with the schedule. Until then you guys can look forward to reading my collaborating PLL fanfiction with my good friend Writingisbeauty. It's called DeAth to Secrets and it's published on my account so you can easily check it out! :) I have a lot more stuff to talk about but I will do that in the Author's Note below.**

**Chapter talk: So as I have tweet before, this chapter takes place during Riley's birthday and the first appearance of T.K. I know she only had one appearance on the show, but she may appear more in my story, since she is Harley's sister after all. Hope you guys like it! By the way, I couldn't find the script on the internet, so I had to make the chapter a bit different from the actual episode. Enjoy! :)**

**I'd like to give a shout-out to those who have reviewed my previous chapter: Jenna Yu, Guest, caitlyn S, Giggles789, DilaLOVE, DisneyLover16, Emma, HK, Riley Watson, radioaction, mflynny86, jenna323.m, Pebblemist of LightClan, CabbieLoverSAC22, BagelsandBroadway, EMarks1108, alyssaunicorn, LoveShipper, Ali6132, mrs peeta mellark 2.0, Liseegirl, dobegirl15, Nicole Brooks, MiaE2243, Twinkletoes626, Waffleslover98, montypercy100, AliciaMae26, stephanie, Glee Clue Rock 1251, and Girlmeets2015.**

**I do not own Boy Meets World, or it's spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

_I looked around the large smelly garbage containers in the early morning of my birthday. How did things come down to this?_

Riley's Point of View

_**Tuesday, December 6th, 1994, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 6:45 A.M**_

I had awoken in the morning to a very unpleasant attack. I tossed and turned in my bed until a bright light shone in my face. I realized Maya had left the curtain window wide open, as she climbed on top of my bed and started tickling me, attacking me in the process.

"Wakie, wakie birthday girl!" she shouted in my ear as I fought to get out of her grip, but the more I struggled, the harder she tickled me, and the harder it was to push her off. The harder it was to even talk.

"M-Maya-a! Wh-hat a-are yo-ou d-doing-g? Ha, ha, ha!" I giggled uncontrollably. "S-Stop tickling-g m-me!"

Maya shook her head mischievously. "Nope! I think I'll do this for a little longer."

Maya knew me better than anyone did. She knew exactly where my weak spots were and unfortunately, she knew I had a lot of them.

"I-I c-can't b-breat-the!" I finally said when I was started to gasp for air from all the laughter. "M-Maya-a!"

Maya smirked. "Alright, fine," she grumbled jokingly, letting go of my sides and sitting on my bed legged-crossed.

When I was able to catch my breath, I sat up and sat legged crossed opposite to her.

"What's happened to you? You never get up in the morning to tickle-tackle me!"

Maya shrugged her shoulders, that goofy wide smile on her face remained there as she answered. "What? It's your birthday! Can't I be happy for my best friend on her birthday?"

I furrowed my eyebrow suspiciously at her. "First of all, my birthday is in _two_ days. Secondly, you're acting like I would if it were two days before your birthday so that means you're hiding something from me. What is it?"

Mockingly, Maya looked offended. "Can't I just suddenly be happy without having to explain myself?" I gave her a look and she shrugged her shoulders. "Okay fine, you got me. I wanted you to find out from Cory himself, but Wendy broke up with him! Isn't that great?"

My mouth dropped open. "What? That's horrible!"

Maya gave me a confused look. "Why would it be horrible? They're not together anymore!" I still wasn't understanding it. Maybe it was from the fact that I was abruptly woken up and couldn't really think straight.

"So?" I asked.

Maya rolled her eyes. "So... you're dad's available now. He can date your mom! And you know what that means?"

"What?"

"It means if they start dating, we might be able to go home!"

The realization finally struck in me. I smirked mischievously. "Happy birthday to me."

* * *

I could barely contain myself when I got to school an hour or so later. If all went well with my parents, we might be able to go home. Wow. I hadn't felt this kind of hope in months. Now that I had had this new found knowledge, nothing could ruin my day. Absolutely nothing.

I wasn't kidding when I said I could barely contain myself. The second I saw Cory by his locker talking to Shawn, I ran up to him and hugged him from behind.

Cory stood there awkwardly, realizing it was me who was hugging him.

"Uh... Riley? What are you doing?"

I sighed happily. "Nothing. Just wanted to give the single boy who is absolutely available a hug."

I didn't realize how creepy and weird that sounded until Maya forcefully pulled me away from Cory. _I'm just so happy to see that my dad is single. Is that so wrong?_

As confident as can be and having more experience talking to girls, Shawn walked up to me as Cory hid behind him like a little kid hiding behind his mother after being embarrassed by the weird girl who has an obsessive crush on him.

"If you're giving out free hugs to guys who are single, I'm always available," Shawn winked jokingly at me, stretching his arms wide open to give me an embrace before Maya pulled me back.

She glared daggers at him, holding my shoulders protectively. "Na-uh Hunter. Riley's not like that."

"And you are?" he challenged.

Now I was the one who had pull Maya back before she went over to Shawn and taught him a lesson.

"Do any of you guys think I'm too not-polite?" Cory asked after a while.

Maya scoffed. "Yes."

"No," I retorted, giving Maya a warning look. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, my mom's saying I'm not really polite. I was wondering if that was the reason why Wendy dumped me."

"Did she say why she dumped you?" Maya asked.

Cory put his thumbs in his jean pockets and thought about the question for a moment. "Not really. She just said she wanted to see other people."

I smiled enthusiastically. "Well, that means you can see other people too right?" I tried to comfort, but it was hard to do so, as I wanted my parents to realize they were meant for each other as soon as possible. "Look around!" I encouraged, spreading my arm out before the group of girls by their lockers. One of them was Topanga, I might add. "You should get back out there. See anybody you like?"

Maya gave me a strange look, which I knew meant,_ "Wow, way to be so obvious."_

Cory observed the group of girls. I realized then that two of the girls who were in the group were Melissa and Hilary.

Cory shook his head. "They're all too the same. They all like going to the bathroom together and wear makeup."

Shawn ruffled his signature hair and smirked to himself. "Well, that's a shame because Melissa Harrington is looking real good right now." Coolly, he was about to strut his way over to the group of girls before Maya pulled him back.

Maya faked a laugh. "Ha, ha. You wish."

Cory and I ignored the two bickering couple.

"I want someone who likes me for me. For my short, brillo-haired self," Cory explained.

I nodded to Topanga who was visible in the group of girls. _Perfect. _"What about Topanga? She likes your brillo hair, right?" I asked, trying to be as subtle as possible.

Cory looked over his shoulder to glance at Topanga. He thought about it for a moment before giving me a smile. "You know what? You're right!"

I smiled wide. "I am right!"

"She usually isn't so please listen to her this time," Maya added. I gave her a small playful glare.

"Hey, here's a crazy idea," I offered. "Why don't you ask Topanga out? Like on a date. A _real _date. Just the two of you."

"You think Topanga's into me like that?" Cory wondered with uncertainty.

Maya and I looked at each other before we exclaimed, "YES!" _Boy can be so stubborn sometimes..._

Cory fixed his shirt and was about to start walking over to the group of girls, who were starting to separate, leaving only Topanga by her locker when Cory backtracked back to us. _Ugh, so close!_

"What should I say? Where should I take her?" Cory freaked.

Maya looked at him in disbelief. "Chubbies you dimwit!"

Shawn stepped in. "Hey, don't call my best friend a dimwit!" he defended. Maya raised an eyebrow at him. She kept giving him a mean glare until he backed out. "Hey Cor, you're officially a dimwit now!" Shawn said nervously, before going to his locker and stuffing himself in it, shutting the door. _Well that was weird._

"Chubbies, alright," Cory tried to process in his head as he started backing up, but ended up bumping into a petite brunette girl wearing a leather jacket and ripped up blue jeans. She looked awfully familiar, until I realized that I had seen her being escorted by a police officer to school one time. Although the girl was very small, size did not fool anyone. The girl was as tough as nails and looked like it too. She had probably never even shed a tear before, I assumed.

The impact of the "bumping" made the tough girl drop her books on the floor. Cory immediately apologized, scrambling to the floor to pick up her books and gave them to her, murmuring an apology and asked her if she was alright. The tough girl smirked, liking the generous action Cory had done for her. She grabbed the books from him and dropped them on the floor again, this time on purpose.

"Whoa, twice in a row," the tough girl teased when Cory picked up her books again. "Yer a polite little fella. And yer smile is kind of engaging," she said as she kept walking closer and closer to Cory while he tried to back up as much as possible, intimidated by the tough girl with the leather jacket. "Got a name?"

"Cory," he hesitantly responded.

"I'm Theresa, but my friends call me T.K.." I looked over at Maya to make sure she was witnessing the same thing as I was. _This really wasn't good._ "Give me your hand," T.K. demanded to Cory, pulling out a pen and holding out his hand herself.

That immediately reminded me of the very first thing Topanga said to Cory and I the first day at school. "Give me your hands." _Oh no, this really wasn't going well..._

Cory squinted his eyes, looking away panicky. "Oh no, I knew this was going too well."

T.K. chuckled at Cory's paranoia. "Relax, it's just a pen." After T.K. finished writing on his hand, she smirked at him and said, "Keep in touch," before walking away.

"NOOO!" I cried out-loud exaggeratedly. _Accidentally_ also, I might as well say. Cory looked at me strangely while Maya patted me on the back comfortingly. I felt like the entire school was now staring at me like I was a zoo animal.

"Nothing to see here," Maya announced, making everybody turn back to what they were doing.

I started hyperventilating. I had my hands extended in front of me in an attempt to grasp something that had vanished before me. _This was not happening! No, I refuse to believe my own father was now going out with another girl! Why didn't I see this coming?_

"What's wrong Riley? I thought you wanted me to start getting back out there and seeing other people. Did I do something wrong?" Cory asked concernedly.

I had a choice. Either to start screaming at the top of my lungs in frustration until I lost my voice, or just let the whole thing go and pretend nothing was wrong. Guess which one I chose?

"Uh, I just remembered I forgot my binder at home!" I lied. I turned to look at my best friend. "Maya, will you come with me to get my binder?" I asked, knowing very well Maya got what I was hinting at.

"Yeah, let's go," she stated before I grabbed her by the arm and dragged her through the halls to what was now officially considered "our window". We sat on the bench and just looked at each other.

"Let it out," Maya said.

I took a deep breath. "Okay, what was I thinking that I could get my parents together? I'm only making things worse and I don't wanna make things worse because I know that I'll start to stress and when I start to stress, I'll start to disappear and once I disappear, it's goodbye Riley forever-" I paused to take a long deep sigh before rubbing my temples. "Do you think I'm crazy Maya?"

"Of course I do."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

Maya shook her head. "Everybody's crazy. That's just something we all have to live with. What I see is that you wanna help out, and there's never anything wrong with that."

I smiled warmly and rested my head on my best friend's shoulder. "Now that makes me feel better."

The hallway was starting to clear up when the bell rung for homeroom. I lifted my head up from Maya's shoulder to see Harley Keiner stomping through the hallway, coming directly at us with a very anger face. I knew we had not done anything wrong to him, but I did not want to find out why he was upset. I grabbed onto a very skeptical Maya and pulled her into the closest opened locker possible and we managed to fit in there.

"Uh, Riles?" Maya asked.

"Yep?" I answered back, trying to remain as calm and nonchalant as possible.

"I don't wanna seem like I think you're dumb or anything but have you noticed this is not Turner's homeroom but we're stuffed inside a locker?"

I laughed nervously. "Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Riley, why did you stuff us into this crammed locker? Are you hiding something from me? Is Ricky there outside? Riley, you promised no more secrets-"

I covered Maya's mouth with my hand when she was starting to get too loud. "Shhh! Harley's outside and he seemed really mad. Please I just wanna make it through today with all my body parts in place."

"You don't have to worry about Harley. I can take care of him."

"That's what I'm afraid of! I don't want you to get hurt."

"But I-"

"Shhh! Someone's coming," I said in a panicky voice, lifting up my head and focusing my eye on the tiny holes the locker had for ventilation. Harley was walking around back and forth, mostly likely waiting for one of his lackies while skipping class. The confusing part was that it was not one of Harley's lackies who's voice I heard next, but a very familiar girl voice.

"Harvey! You forgot yer lunch I made for ya at home! What am I gonna do about you?" T.K. appeared next to Harley handing him a brown paper bag with his lunch in it. _Harvey? Who's Harvey?_

What a minute. Harley would never let anybody talk to him like that unless... I gasped in realization, turning to Maya who was behind me and couldn't see what I had just witnessed.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"T.K. is Harley's sister!" I whispered-shouted.

"No way! Let me see!" Maya demanded, slightly pushing me to the back of the locker and put her eye on one of the holes to see through. I didn't have to see through the hole to hear what T.K. and Harley were saying to each other.

"What am I gonna do without you little sis?" Harley said. I squeezed beside Maya to peep into one of the tiny holes since I was dying to see what was going on. Harley was wrapping his arm around T.K. in an affectionate manner, more so than I had ever seen him do with anybody else, unless it was before he was ready to punch out the day lights out of the poor individual, which I considered... kind of sweet? "My sweet, innocent, angelic little sis who would never do anything to upset her big brother, right?"

T.K. smiled sweetly. "Right Harvey. Now I'm gonna go steal the lunch lady's lunch money. See ya at home."

Harley smiled proudly. "I've taught you well kid." Then they both went opposite ways and the entire corridor was left in silence. I turned to stare at Maya in dumbfound as she did the same.

"Harvey?" she asked incredulously.

"We can _use_ this!" I announced excitedly.

"Harvey?" she repeated.

"We just need to come up with a plan," I continued.

"Harvey?"

"Yes Harvey!" I declared finally. "What are we going to do with this new found knowledge?"

"Well, knowing you, you'll think of something soon," Maya answered in boredom.

As she predicted this, an idea started forming in my head.

I smiled mischievously. "I have a plan," I sang-songed playfully.

Maya rolled her eyes. "I knew you would."

* * *

After I told Maya the plan, we stepped out of the locker and went to homeroom. Late of course. Mr. Turner was reading off the announcements for the day as Maya and I walked in and everybody turned to stare at us like we had done something wrong.

"Matthews, Hart, you're late," Mr. Turner stated the obvious.

"Yeah, I guess we are," Maya responded back awkwardly.

"Mind telling me why you're late? I just saw you before class, where did you go?"

Maya walked to the front of the class toward Mr. Turner and I followed suit close behind her. Maya whispered something in Mr. Turner's ear that even I couldn't catch as I was standing right behind her. Whatever she said worked apparently, because Mr. Turner started shifting awkwardly in his spot and just dismissed us to our seats. I made a mental note to ask Maya later on what she had said to get Mr. Turner to drop the entire issue completely.

"Hey," someone greeted Mr. Turner behind me. I turned around hoping it wasn't who I thought it was but ended up being wrong as usual. It was T.K., with a sly smirk on her face as she stood by the doorway.

"Hey back," Mr. Turner responded puzzled.

T.K.'s eyes landed on Cory and he smiled meekly. "There he is, there's my guy," T.K. said happily.

"That's funny, 'cause I got this thing called homeroom..." Mr. Turner was about to explain until T.K. pulled out a note and handed it to him.

"Yeah, this note covers it," she said, standing next to Cory's desk.

"T.K., what're you doing in my homeroom?" Cory asked her.

"_Our_ homeroom now sweetie," she responded sweetly.

I turned my head and caught Topanga's hurtful stare. I wanted to be able to communicate and tell her it wasn't what it looked like. Darn for not having cell phones! But I couldn't, and now I only had to hope she wouldn't give up on liking Cory and moving on to someone else.

* * *

I decided to put the plan in action during lunch. Step 1: Tell Cory that T.K. was Harley Keiner's sister so that he can break up with her. I pulled Cory aside before he entered the cafeteria to break the bad news to him.

"Cory, I need to tell you something and I know you're not gonna like it."

"Well can you hurry it up? T.K. asked me to sit with her today and if I'm late she gets really jealous," Cory said urgently.

_Oh, how awkward this was going to be..._

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. About T.K. She's not exactly who you think she is."

"What do you mean?" Cory asked puzzled.

"Do you know what T.K. stands for? Theresa Keiner," I answered, preparing myself for the shock look on Cory's face, and that was exactly what I got.

"Theresa K-Keiner?! You mean she's H-Harley's s-sister?!" Cory exclaimed, louder than I expected him to. "What am I gonna do? Harley's gonna kill me when he finds out!"

I pretended like I had just got an idea in my head. "Not if you break up with her he won't."

"What are you talking about? Won't he hate me even more if I break up with her?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Better than him having him beat you up for dating his little sister."

"Good point."

* * *

By the end of the day, the entire school was gossiping about Cory breaking up with T.K. _Especially _Melissa and Hilary. I gave them the occasional eye roll every time I passed by them. After the whole thing at the dance, at least they knew now they couldn't hurt me anymore.

I got home with Maya and we plotted ourselves on the big couch in the living room. We both sighed simultaneously.

"Hard day, huh?" Maya asked me.

I nodded my head. "Yep, who knew ruining relationships can be so tiring?"

"Well, at least we don't have to worry about that anymore."

We sat there staring at the green wall in front of us before I remembered about what happened in homeroom.

"Hey, what did you say to Mr. Turner to get him to forget about us being late to homeroom?"

Maya looked at me uneasily. "Oh, right that. Uh, it doesn't really matter what I told him..."

"Maya," I warned.

Maya sighed and caved in. "Okay fine. I told Turner you had cramps and that I didn't want to leave you in the washroom by yourself so I stayed with you until you got better."

I felt my jaw almost drop to the floor. "You told him I had cramps?! Why did you do that? I don't even have my period yet! Why couldn't you tell him you got yours?"

Maya muffled a laugh. "Sorry Riles, but I thought it would be more believable if it was you! And that he would feel more compassionate. It's not like he can tell anyway. Besides, guys usually feel uncomfortable when girls talk about their periods so I thought it would work and it did! Clever, right?"

I had to admit it was clever, so instead of feeling angry at Maya for doing that embarrassing act, I just laughed it off.

Moments later we could hear a door shut in the kitchen. Maya got up off the couch and before she went into the kitchen, she informed me, "Oh, that must be Mr. Feeny. I'm gonna go talk to him about the surprise party we're having for you... Shoot!" she said, realizing her slip-up.

I gasped excitedly, getting off the couch and launching myself to my best friend to give her a big hug.

"You're having a surprise party for me?!"

Maya sighed. "Well it _was _supposed to be a surprise, but anyway yeah. We've already invited the Matthews', Shawn and Topanga for the party."

"How'd you get Mr. Feeny to say yes?"

Maya looked confused. "Why wouldn't he say yes? He cares about you Riles."

"Oh... right," I said. Sometimes I forgot he did, since Mr. Feeny spent most of his free time tutoring Maya on the piano, so I don't know. Sometimes I felt like he forgot about me or didn't really like me for my clumsiness. I tried to stay away from his garden as much as I could, and when it was unavoidable, I tried to be as careful as to not step on his flowers and plants as much as possible. I guess what I was trying to say is that Mr. Feeny and I really didn't have anything to bond over, meaning I barely knew my foster parent and Cory's mentor. "Can I invite someone?"

"Is that someone Ricky?" Maya predicted.

"... Yes?" I said in more of a format of a question than an answer. "I promise you nothing will happen, but he is still our friend you know. He did warn us about Martha before the incident."

Maya thought about it for a moment. "Okay fine. But you're the one who's inviting him."

"Yay!"

* * *

The next day at school, I walked up to Ricky who was by his locker and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and gave me a small smile.

"Hi... Riley, what's up?" he asked awkwardly.

I was forced to break up with Ricky (by Maya) the very day I recovered from my fever and went to school. Just before Ricky was about to lean in to peck me on the lips, I told him that it would be best if we stayed friends. He told me that he understood and we continued to be friends. But we started seeing each other less and less everyday and it was worrying me that it was because he was secretly upset about our breakup and he didn't wanna tell me. Although I had no choice but to end things with him or else things would get more complicated than they already were, I didn't want our friendship to end.

"Um, nothing much. How have you been?"

"Great."

"That's... great! Uh, so Maya's having a 'Not So Surprise Birthday Party' for me and I was wondering if you'd like to come?" _Was it an odd gesture to invite your ex-boyfriend to your birthday party? I'll take that as a yes._

"Uh, sure. What time should I be there?"

"Six o'clock," I confirmed, giving him one last smile before going to class.

* * *

During homeroom today, T.K. wasn't there and I had a sneaky suspicion that I knew why. _Okay, so it wasn't really a sneaky suspicion. It was pretty clear why she skipped class. _I tried to ignore the fact that I might have been the reason for the breakup. _Oh who am I kidding? I AM the reason for the breakup! _But when Joey the Rat showed up and lied to Mr. Turner tell him his bike got ran over to get him to leave the classroom, I suddenly had an uneasy feeling in my stomach and I knew what was about to come next I was not going to enjoy.

When the entire class was kicked out by Frankie the Enforcer except for Cory and I, I tried to make a run for it out the door but was quickly stopped by Harley's hard and stiff body bumping into mine. I looked up at his face and realized he was not at all happy.

"Frankie, you and Joey watch the door," Harley commanded to his lackies.

"What's going on?" Cory asked nervously.

"I am extremely distraught," Harley answered.

"Do you happen to know why?" I asked but later regretting it as I received a cold glare from Harley.

"Yes, someone has stolen the sweet and angelic smile from my sister Theresa," Harley responded. _Oh, this was not going to end well._

"Oh, Theresa's your sister right? I almost forgot about that," Cory lied, laughing nervously. Harley grabbed Cory from the collar of his shirt and lifted him off the ground to eye-level.

"I am not joking with you Baboon. I love my sister very much, and if ya do anything to hurt her again, she will never want to look at that face again 'cause of how much I will mess it up."

I stepped in front of Cory after Harley let go of his shirt. "Harley, he didn't mean to. C-Can we just let this all go and forget about it?" I trembled, in spite of the courage I had to stand up to Harley the way I was doing.

Harley looked down at me and smirked angrily. "Oh, and I almost forgot about _you _Sandy Baboon. Word around that halls is that you were the one to tell Baboon over here to break up with my sister."

_Who would just rat me out like that? Oh right. Melissa and Hilary..._

"I didn't mean for things to get like this. I'm really sorry Harley. Can you let us go now?"

"Not until you fix things with my little sister or else," Harley threatened.

"I promise I will," I concluded, before Frankie and Joey came into the room and informed Harley that Mr. Turner was coming back. Every kid moved swiftly back into the classroom and into their seats before Mr. Turner came in and resumed his lesson, while I sat back down in my seat, still shivering with fear.

_What am I going to do now?_

* * *

It turned out T.K. didn't come to school at all. I was starting to worry... _did she really like my dad that much? But they only just met!_

As I pondered on this thought on our way to school the next morning, Maya was trying to keep me from going insane again.

"Harley's just bluffing! If he really wanted to hurt you and Cory he would have done it already."

"Well that's reassuring," I stated sarcastically.

Maya sighed, stopping in her tracks and I followed suit. "You know what I mean."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Yeah I do, sorry," I apologized. "I can't even enjoy my own birthday, are things really that bad?"

Maya nodded her head. "Yeah, pretty much. But don't worry about it or you'll start to disappear again," she reminded me.

"You're right. I'll be calm for now on."

We had stopped precisely at the entrance of the school. Maya was about to start walking in when I caught T.K. sneaking into the back of the school and I put my hands on Maya's shoulder to prevent her from moving any further.

"What?" she asked in confusion.

"I just spotted T.K., we have to go after her!" I whispered-shouted urgently, dragging Maya by the arm (as I heard her mutter _"way to be calm"_) to the back of the school to where I predicted T.K. would still be there. I looked around the large smelly garbage containers in the early morning of my birthday. _How did things come down to this?_

Hearing a muffled sob beside one of the large smelly garbage containers, I quickly moved to where the noise was and founded a curled up Theresa Keiner on the ground crying her eyes out. That was the moment I realized no matter how tough a girl may seem, tough girls were humans as well. Tough girls did cry.

"Theresa- I mean T.K. are you alright?" I spoke with as much compassionate as I could possible utter out of pure disappointment in myself. _Why couldn't I see what I was doing all along?_

At the sound of my voice, T.K. lifted her head up to stare at me with her red and hatred eyes, wiping some tears away from her face. "Get outta my face you scumbags! And if you tell anybody about this I'll hunt you down and kill you!" T.K. threatened as she turned back to her sobbing mode. _I guess I did deserve that._

Maya stepped in. "Hey, you can't talk to my best friend like that! You don't even know her!"

T.K, got up from the the ground and got into Maya's face. "You don't think I know her? I know she was the one to tell my guy to break up with me. That's all I need to know to hate her."

"She didn't mean to-" Maya began before I cut her off.

"It's okay Maya. You don't need to defend me. I know what I did was very wrong and I'm deeply sorry. I don't wanna get into anymore trouble with you T.K. Just remember that we are a lot similar than you think. Now I don't wanna get into anybody's business anymore so I think we should go now," I said, finally wanting to give up my meddling ways for good. They were never doing any good anyway.

"Wait," T.K. called out. "Why do you think we're so similar Miley if we barely know each other?"

I turned around and raised an eyebrow. "My name's Riley, but close enough. How'd you know my name?"

"Those drama queens Melissa and Hilary told me your name was Miley."

"Oh," I chuckled awkwardly. "Well they were wrong, but thanks for remembering."

"You still haven't answered my question."

I thought about the question she just asked me for a moment. _Why did I say we were similar?_

"I just assumed you had a troubled background and so do Maya and I. We're orphans and we live with the principal."

T.K. nodded. "Oh yeah? That doesn't mean anything. My dad ditched me at a ball game on my 8th birthday."

"At least you remember your dad," Maya said, jumping into the conversation. "My dad left me god knows when and I don't remember anything about him. After he left, my mom packed her bags and went to California."

"God I would give anything to forget my dad!" T.K. responded angrily. "Right when I believed he really loved me, he leaves me for some redhead chick."

"My dad has another family... or so I've heard," Maya included.

"See how we're similar?" I asked T.K.

"Why do you care about me anyway?" T.K. inquired. "If it weren't for you, Cory would still like me. You aren't my friends."

"We could be. If you let us. T.K., we're really really sorry about all this. We didn't mean to hurt you, we didn't think it would get out of hand."

"Listen, if you wanted Cory all to yourself, all you had to do was warn me he was your guy."

My mouth dropped open at this comment. _What is she crazy?! Me liking my dad? Oh... my... gosh..._

I forcefully laughed to stop the awkwardness from arising more than it already ad. It clearly wasn't working.

"Whoa sister, Cory's not my guy."

T.K. nodded to Maya. "Is he yours?"

"Brillo-head? No way!" Maya shuttered with a disgusted look on her face.

"Hey, that's my guy you're talking about!" T.K. defended jokingly. _At least she was starting to ease up on us._

I spoke up with a bit of hesitation this time. "Listen T.K., today's my birthday and I was wondering if..."

"If what?"

"If you'd like to stop by my party and talk to Cory. You can even invite Harvey if you'd like... oops."

"Wait, how did you know about that?"

"Uh, I don't know anything, I meant Harley! It's in the house beside Cory's, you can't miss it. And maybe then you two can work things out?" I suggested.

T.K. thought about it before sadly shaking her head refusing. "Nah, I don't think. I'll see you around though," she said, stuffing her hands in her leather jacket and walked away.

* * *

By half past six the party was in full swing. The Matthews', Shawn, Topanga and Ricky had arrived just on time. Although I should have been extremely happy Cory and Topanga were flirting with each other on the couch, I still couldn't help but think about T.K. and whether she was still doing alright with the break up after our talk. The door bell rung and I got up from the couch to open the door. T.K. was standing on the opposite end. I smiled widely at her.

"T.K. you came!" I exclaimed excitedly.

She smiled and shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal. "Yeah well what are friends for? Happy birthday by the way," she said, handing me a gift wrapped box. I stepped aside to let her in and caught her eyes falling upon Cory and Topanga sitting on the couch with each other. Cory didn't notice T.K. had arrived.

"Oh, so that's the girl who I took her guy from," T.K. observed, smirking. I smiled sheepishly, hoping she wouldn't cause a scene.

"Yeah, I guess. You're not mad?"

"Why would I be? They're cute together," T.K. responded. _Oh, if only she knew the half of it..._

* * *

After everybody finished singing happy birthday to me, they started clapping and cheering as Maya brought out the cake with twelve candles on top of it. 'Happy Birthday Chump' was written on top of the cake. I jokingly rolled my eyes at my best friend as I knew she was the one who was behind this joke.

"Make a wish chump," Maya said playfully. I looked around the room, specifically at the people who surrounded me as I prepared myself to blow out my candles. It was tradition to make a wish on your birthday, but what could I possibly ask for now? To get back home to 2015 as soon as possible? But why did I need to ask for that? When I had everything I needed right here. With me. The Matthews, Shawn, T.K., Ricky and most importantly, Mr. Feeny and Maya...

Maybe staying for a bit longer wasn't so bad after all. I had my family and I made a new friend celebrating my twelfth birthday with me... and that was all that seemed to matter to me right now...

* * *

**Author's Note: How'd you guys like this chapter? I enjoyed writing it so I hope you enjoyed reading it. There was a reference to Demolition which I loved in this chapter, see if you can figure it out ;)**

**Okay, so I have a few things to talk about right now: **

**1\. As you guys have hopefully noticed, I made an official cover for the story and another story for The Outsiders Fanfiction I will be releasing sometime in the near future. I changed the title from "The In-Crowd" to "A Look Over the Sunset". The main character will be someone who I have tried to write stories for during my writing block years so I decided to use her in this new story. She is entirely fictional but she is the closest character who I have related to (I know that sounds weird but you'll see what I mean when I publish the story). **

**2\. For those of you who check or follow my Twitter account, you would have notice I give out a lot of information regarding some confusion you may have about the story, such as the girls ages. Riley is now 12 and Maya will be 13 in January. That will all change in season 3 actually.**

**3\. Because of my collaborating Pretty Little Liars Fanfiction, unfortunately this story will be updating at a slower pace than I expected but I will hopefully have every chapter updated before the 31st of May. Some chapters may come at random times during the week but I'll be sure to send out tweet alerts lol. ;)**

**4\. The contest is still on-going so please submit your reviews and answers as soon as possible! Preferably a week before the 31st. :)**

**5\. The Bitstrips are still in production so I'm sorry for delaying that. More will be made soon!**

**6\. Now for the really exciting news. Last week I had to make a trailer for a Macbeth assignment I had in English class and it brought me to thinking about this story and how I might be able to make a Seven Years in the Nineties trailer. Of course it will take a while before I actually release it since I still have to figure out how I am going to do it and all, so please be patient while that is in the works. Who knows? I may even do a trailer for each one of my stories!**

**P.S- You know the drill. ;) Don't forget to check Tumblr, Twitter and everything else I have going on for more info or if you just wanna talk. I am always with open ears for any suggestions you may want to share! :)**

**Quote of the week:**

"We live in a random chaotic universe."** -Mr. Feeny**

**-Mimi1239**


	31. It's a Love Thing

**Now that I've reached 150 followers and 131 favourites on my story with already 31 chapters and 800 plus reviews, I feel like I can do anything! Maybe I can fly? Just kidding, but you guys are really awesome for making all of this come true for me!**

**Chapter talk: This chapter takes place during the episode of The Beard. You will be seeing somebody trying to manipulate and blackmail someone else into doing something for them but it all blows up in their face in the end. It's a fun chapter so I hope you all enjoy it! **

**I'd like to give a shout-out to those who have reviewed my previous chapter: Emma, Jules, jenna323.m, radioaction, AliciaMae02, Ali6132, Giggles789, Pebblemist of LightClan, harmonizergirl1202, Riley Watson, DilaLOVE, mrs peeta mellark 2.0, CabbieloverSAC22, BagelsandBroadway, dobegirl15, LoveShipper, stephanie, Weirdlover1239, jessemoctezuma, and Waffleslover98.**

**I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

_I know, I know. Two wrongs don't make a right. But it didn't matter now, this right was going to fix a wrong._

Maya's Point of View

_**Monday, December 12th, 1994, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 6:00 A.M**_

I woke up one morning to a knock on my door. I rubbed my eyes and got up to answer to see it being Mr. Feeny on the other side.

"Good morning Miss Hart," Mr. Feeny greeted, seemingly a little distracted about something.

I yawned into my hand. "Good morning Mr. Feeny. What are you doing up so early?"

"Well I was thinking about how we don't really get to spend much time together and it is a lovely morning outside, the sun is rising, the birds are chirping and the air is so fresh so I thought you could come and help me water my garden."

My eyes widened. "Right now?"

"Yes right now, if that is alright with you of course. I haven't been able to bend down properly recently," Mr. Feeny said, holding up his back with a pained expression on his face, "and I feel that I could really use the help."

_Ah, the guilt card. What a classic move. But how could I refuse after he'd done so much for us?_

"Sure," I stated, not really feeling so enthusiastic. I'd much rather be in bed, but I didn't want Mr. Feeny to feel bad. "I'll go get my coat." _And that was how problems started..._

* * *

All during class today, I couldn't quite focus on what Turner was talking about with Hamlet and all. At first I thought it was from the lack of sleep I'd recently been getting from waking up every morning to help Mr. Feeny with his garden, but later I realized that it was because I was more concentrated on all the notes Shawn was getting. It was getting really annoying, I might as well say.

It all started when Linda Bay sneakily passed Cory a note, and Cory obviously had the right to assume the note was for him. Just as he was about to open the note gleefully, Linda turned around in her seat once more and whispered demandingly, "Pass it to Shawn!" Cory sulk back into his chair and tossed the note behind him to Shawn who eagerly accepted it and opened it up for his eyes only. After class, I decided that I would let the curiosity get the best of me for once and I chose to ask Shawn about what the note said right after the bell rung. But I soon regretted it afterwards...

"You're jealous, aren't you?" he asked, smirking satisfactorily.

I scoffed. "Why would I be jealous? It was just a simple question."

"She said she really liked me."

"Is she one of the few girls you haven't dated yet?"

Shawn smirked proudly. "Yep, what do you think about that?"

I got up in Shawn's face and smirked mischievously. "I think you're a pig," I stated before walking into Mr. Feeny's class, knowing fully well that I had left a shocked look on Shawn's face.

In History class though, things were starting to seem more serious. It was clear Shawn was the most popular guy to date, but did girls have to be so obvious? Especially when Mr. Feeny was teaching about John F. Kennedy. I know all of this does not sound like anything I, Maya Hart would say, but being in the past for this long can really change a person.

Stacy Prescot was the second girl to give Cory a note and to demand him to pass Shawn the note. Cory sulk back in his second once again and angrily tossed Shawn Stacy's note.

* * *

During lunch I did not bothering asking Shawn what Stacy had written in the note. It was most likely the exact same thing Linda had written in her note.

"Stacy, Linda. Linda, Stacy," Shawn said repeatedly as the four of us sat down with our lunch trays on our table. "I've never been so depressed in my whole life."

Shawn pushed his hair back in a stressful manner and that gave me an idea.

I reached over and intertwined my hand through Shawn's locks and stared at him longingly. He stared back at me with twice as much longing and I knew I had him in my trap. I tried to not pay any attention to the weird looks I was receiving from Riley and Cory as I commenced my plan.

"You poor poor thing," I cooed. "Having to decide between two girls who want you bad." I briefly caressed his hair a little longer before pulling my hand back and trying my best to maintain a straight face as it was almost impossible to not burst out into laughing by Shawn's reaction.

Shawn had his eyes closed peacefully by now and it had seemed that after I had taken my hand away from his hair he had woken up from a light and wonderful dream.

"C-Can you put your hand back in there? I liked what you were doing..." That was all it took for Riley and I to burst out in a fit of laughter. Cory later followed suit. Shawn opened his eyes and raised an eyebrow in oblivion. "What's so funny?"

"Shawn," I began. "Can you stop thinking about girls for once and have a little self-control? And would you stop feeling sorry for yourself? What's the worst that can happen? Both girls will fight over you and they'll break a nail." Riley snickered at my comment.

Cory nodded his head in agreement. "I know. Two beautiful girls both want you, poor guy. There's gotta be a hot line you can call. Of course, with your luck, a girl would answer and she'd want you."

Shawn shook off our comments. "If I reject Linda, she'll get upset, and there is no way I would ever want to see a pout on those beautiful full lips." He paused to stare off into space and smirked. "Actually, it looks pretty good."

"Where do you see that?" Cory asked eagerly, trying to follow Shawn's eyes to where he was staring.

Shawn eyes widened in realization of something. "But-But what if I reject Stacy and she flips out, gets a sex-change operation and comes back as a really angry man seeking her revenge?" We all stared at him like if he was insane. "Hey, I've seen it happen."

"Who do you like more?" Riley asked.

Shawn shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno."

"But who do you have more things in common with?"

"I barely know them," Shawn answered.

"Then why do you like them?" Riley insisted.

Before Shawn could answer, I cut him off.

"Here's what I know he's going to say: 'because they're hot'."

"Hey!" Shawn defended. "That's not what I was gonna say." I gave him a look. "Okay, it was," he admitted.

"Shawn, just choose," Cory demanded.

"I can't."

"Yes, you can," Cory encouraged. "You did at lunch."

"When?"

"When you picked meat loaf instead of chicken," Cory explained. "How did you do that?"

"Well, I couldn't decide. Then I saw you were getting the chicken. So I figured if I changed my mind, I could have some of yours." An idea drew on Shawn's face and he gasped, looking off into space once again.

"She's back?" Cory asked again eagerly.

I rolled my eyes at the two immature boys. "You guys make me sick."

Shawn ignored my statement. "How do you know if you're having an idea?"

Cory looked at his best friend weirdly. "What?"

Shawn immediately stood up from his chair and pulled Cory by the arm out of the cafeteria. Before they left, I asked, "where are you going?"

"Guy stuff," Shawn replied before they exited.

I knew by the way Cory and Shawn just left the cafeteria the way they did, with Shawn the one having the "idea", they were up to no good. It was no surprise. They were always up to no good.

I was about to follow them out the cafeteria when Riley grabbed my hand and pulled me back down to my seat.

"Where are you going?" she asked me slowly and suspiciously.

"Permission to go spy on them?" I smiled sheepishly.

Riley thought about it before answering, "negative."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Well I'm still doing it anyway," I said, quickly getting off my chair and discreetly following Cory and Shawn outside the cafeteria before Riley could do so much as to stop me.

I fast-walked out into the hall and started looking around for where Cory and Shawn were at. When I spotted them walking back into the hallway, I panicked and did the first thing that came into my mind which was of course, stuff myself into my own locker and wait until they left. And of course, they almost didn't do.

"You are a sick and twisted individual," Cory begun, and I assumed it was because he was disgusted with Shawn's "idea".

"To you. To me, I'm a visionary," Shawn bragged.

"It can't work," Cory insisted.

"It's bulletproof," Shawn stated. "I start dating one of the girls while you go out with the other one. That way she's off the market until I'm ready to date her."

I couldn't even begin to believe what I was hearing! This was Shawn's supposed "visionary" plan? Couldn't he have come up with a better solution to his not-so-very-difficult-problem? I don't know... pick the girl he liked best and commit to her? Was this what he really thought of girls? That they were just a piece of chew toy a dog plays with until it gets bored of it and goes for the next chew toy? I started assuming stuff that I probably shouldn't have. That perhaps during all this time, that was what Shawn really thought of me. But what else could I possibly expect from a player like him?

"What, you want me to keep her fresh until you're ready for her? What am I, Tupperware?" Cory asked.

"What else do you have to do?"

"What do I have to do?" _Please don't tell me he's gonna pull out that stupid calender he carries in his front pocket..._ "I'll have you know, my calendar is chock-full." _Great..._

"Of what?" Shawn asked, not at all convinced with what Cory was telling him.

"Well, look, right here," Cory said, and I assumed he was showing Shawn his calender. "I mean, I got Lincoln's birthday, and after that I got 'Lincoln's birthday, traditional', and then there's, uh, 'vernal equinox' and, uh, 'Cinco de Mayo' and 'reorder calendar pages'. See? I'm so busy I can't even talk to you now."

"So you're gonna do this for me?"

"Oh, obviously!" Cory said, and I tipied-toed to be able to see through the hole ventilation in my locker. Cory flung his arms in the air.

Shawn sighed with relief and put his hand on Cory's arm to signify his gratitude. "You're a lifesaver. I owe you."

Cory shrugged it off. "Yeah, yeah. So, Shawn, just choose. Which one am I baby-sitting, meat loaf or chicken?"

"Okay, whichever one comes up to me first, I'll go out with her, because that means she likes me better than the other one."

Linda came up and tapped Shawn on his back. "Hi, Shawn."

Shawn turned around. "Linda!" he exclaimed nervously.

"Linda, congratulations!" Cory said excitedly.

"For what?"

"For looking very Lindacious today. Isn't that enough?" Shawn flirted. _Oh please..._

And just when I thought Linda was smart enough not to buy into Shawn's garbage, she says, "not for me. Call me," Linda winked and walked away.

After Lina left, Cory looked very puzzled at his best friend, as if he was expecting something. "What was that all about? I thought she was the one," Cory whispered.

"I don't know. I panicked. I can't decide," Shawn answered, scratching his head in an indecisive way.

"Fine. You know what? You take Stacy, I'll take Linda."

"No. I want Linda," Shawn whined.

"Fine. Then I'll take Stacy," Cory resolved.

"No," Shawn protested.

"Shawn, you're being greedy," Cory warned.

"No, I'm not."

"Fine. I'll go out with Debbie."

"I want Debbie," Shawn whined.

"There is no Debbie!" Cory exclaimed frustrated.

Shawn shrugged his shoulders. "Somewhere there's a Debbie..." _Jeeze did this boy need to keep his hormones in check._

When Cory started walking the other way, Shawn asked, "where are you going?"

"Nurse," Cory said in boredom. "This is getting me a headache."

The hallway started clearing up when everybody went in the cafeteria for lunch and Shawn was left standing in the middle of the hallway by himself. I found it the perfect opportunity to reveal to him I was listening the whole time.

I opened up my locker door and came out. Shawn looked at me in surprised.

"Maya, what were you doing in there?"

I crossed my arms over my chest and smirked. "I'm not gonna lie. Listening in on your conversation with Cory."

His eyes widened. "So... that means you know my plan?" I nodded my head. "Are you gonna tell anybody?"

"Nope."

"Really?"

I burst out in laughter. "What are you new? Oh, this is gold. Not only am I gonna tell Linda and Stacy about what you're up to, I'm gonna let the whole school know what kind of a player you really are. Oh yeah, then every girl's gonna wanna date you," I said sarcastically, turning myself to go into the cafeteria when I felt a warm hand catch my arm.

"Maya, you're not really gonna do that to me, are you?" Shawn asked worriedly.

"And why shouldn't I?"

"Because... you love me?" he tried. I shook my head with a mischievous sly smirk.

"Nice try. Hunter, girls aren't just some pair of socks you throw away after you finish using them. We're people... with feelings."

"And when did you become such a femora?"

I rolled my eyes at Shawn's misuse of the word. "You mean feminist?"

"Yeah, that."

I attempted once again to walk away from Shawn as I said, "cancel your plans with Linda and Stacy."

Shawn grabbed my arm again. "Or what?" he challenged. "You think I'm afraid of some hot chick who's secretly into me?"

My lips tightened in a straight line. I really should have tried to stop all this by preventing Shawn from going forward with his scheme. Because that meant that Cory's babysitting days would turn into dating days, which I knew Riley would not like. I really should have, but I had another idea in mind.

"For the last time, I am not into you Hunter," I said with my teeth firmly clutched together. "Now you give me no choice but to blackmail you."

"Into doing what?"

_What could be Shawn useful for? _I wondered. _Certainly not for doing homework. I'd much rather do it myself and get at least a B instead of making him do it and get a D. So what else could I use him for? _I thought back to everything that had been going on these past few days and yawned... That's it!

The smirk I had plastered on my face grew wider. "What if I say I had a proposition for you? I don't tell Linda and Stacy what you're up to and you'll do something for me?"

Shawn drew closer to me and smirked as well. "What? Be your make-out dummie?"

I rolled my eyes and scoffed. "No. You'll come to my house every day by six in the morning and help Feeny water his plants."

Shawn's smirk suddenly turned into a disgusted look, as I expected. "Gardening? I hate gardening."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Fine, but your two girlfriends will find out what you're up to."

Shawn groaned. "What I won't do for love."

* * *

Shawn came by as he promised, at six in the morning the next day. Mr. Feeny became a little skeptical about all this, since the normal Shawn would never stop by his house at any time of the day just to help out with his 'gardening business'. But I supposed it was all for the best. Shawn gets his two girls and I get an extra hour of sleep, which was a lot for a preteen girl like myself.

At school the next day though, Cory was beginning to act weird. And not the normal weird we were all used to, but the type of weird that made him blurt things out in class without meaning to.

"...Young and inexperienced, he finds himself caught on the horns of an agonizing dilemma," Mr. Feeny continued his lecture on John F. Kennedy, "and so young President Kennedy, charged with keeping the peace, fears that his inexperience may bring about the destruction of the entire world-"

"Oh, give him a break! This was his first big crisis," Cory shouted frantically. "It wasn't his fault he liked the girl!"

"Mr. Matthews," Mr. Feeny said.

"Yes?"

"Put your head down. It's nap time," Mr. Feeny suggested. And that was exactly what Cory did.

* * *

Riley came up to me later on after class as we walked through the halls of the school. She pulled me down on our usual bench with a distressed look on her face.

"Riley, what's wrong?" I asked concernedly. "You're scaring me a little."

"Have you noticed anything differently about my dad?" she asked.

"Pssh, no why?" I lied.

"I saw him yesterday out with a girl at Chubbies that wasn't my mom! And then today did you notice how he blurted out nonsense about liking a girl? What if he really likes that Linda girl, and what if Topanga finds out and she moves on."

I shook my head in refusal. "That's ridiculous Riley. Nothing like that is gonna happen. I have to go," I said, getting up from the bench and going into my next class. I couldn't stand lying to Riley anymore. I knew very well it was my fault for letting it all happen...

* * *

I walked out of Health class and almost ran into Shawn and Stacy as they walked into the hallway arguing so I decided to backtrack and hide behind a classroom door. As I was listening I discovered they were talking about a movie they had seen last night.

"You know, just once I'd like to see a movie where nobody's head blows up," Stacy commented.

Shawn raised an eyebrow in disbelief of what she was saying. "You're kidding me. What type of movie do you want to see?"

Stacy shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know. How about a romantic foreign film?"she suggested with a smile.

Shawn scoffed. "Oh, please. They don't even try to speak English in those movies."

"I'm beginning to think we have nothing in common," Stacy observed.

"Yeah? Well, I'm beginning to think we have nothing in common," Shawn repeated.

Cory crept up behind the couple worriedly. "Stacy, Shawn!" He turned to Shawn. "By the way, you're an idiot." Then he turned back to both of them and wrapped his arms around their shoulders. "Are you two gonna let a movie get in the way of a love that should last for all eternity?"

Stacy folded her arms over her chest. "Looks like it," she said walking away.

Shawn turned to Cory, unaffected by what had just occurred. "Good thing I've still got Linda on deck. You're a lifesaver, bud," Shawn said happily.

"Hey, don't give up on Stacy. That's a solid relationship there, a relationship a lot of people are depending upon."

Now there really was a problem. Cory was starting to depend his secret relationship with Shawn and Stacy's relationship. Oh, so this is what Riley was worrying about.

"What do you mean?" Shawn asked confusingly.

"I mean, you can't live without her!" Cory said desperately. "Look at you. You're getting nervous. You're sweating!" Cory raised his voice. "Your voice is getting higher. Now go! Go get her! Go get her, man," Cory demanded urgently, motioning for Shawn to go after Stacy. When Shawn wouldn't budge, Cory said reluctantly, "okay, I'll go." And ran after Stacy. How pathetic.

I came out of the classroom and walked up to Shawn with my thumbs digging in my back pockets.

"Trouble in paradise, I see?" I teased. Shawn glared at my satisfaction. "Okay, fine I'm sorry. I guess this means you're going for Stacy now?"

Shawn nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. You're still not gonna tell right?"

"As long as you do all the gardening work for me, my lips are sealed."

* * *

I walked home after school by myself. I couldn't find Riley anywhere and I was starting to worry that something might have happened to her. When I arrived home, I found Riley sitting on the couch with a serious look on her face.

"What's wrong Riles?" I asked, confused as to why she looked so serious.

Riley stood up and walked over to me. "What's wrong Maya is that you let my dad go out with another girl and to didn't tell me about it."

"What?" I asked nervously. "Where did you hear that?"

Riley glared at me. "You told me Maya."

"When did I tell you?"

"I saw you talking to Shawn after class. How could you do that Maya? And you even blackmailed Shawn into doing your garden work for you?"

I threw my hands in the air in surrender. "Okay fine! I did blackmail Shawn."

"Why?"

"I didn't wanna wake up early to do Feeny's gardening. I didn't know what to do! I'm sorry!"

Riley put her hands on here hips. "Now are you gonna go fix it?"

"Yes mother," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes and turning around to walk out the door. I knew exactly where I needed to go now.

* * *

I'd been doing a lot of spying in the last two days. It didn't matter if I went to Chubbies to listen in on the conversation Cory and Shawn were having with Stacy and Linda right? I know, I know. Two wrongs don't make a right. But it didn't matter now, this right was going to fix a wrong.

Both Cory and Shawn were sitting at the booth discussing their scheme when the girls walked up behind Cory.

"Both of them, right?" Cory asked when he realized both Stacy and Linda were behind him.

"Yeah," replied Shawn.

"I turn around, they're both gonna be there," Cory predicted, during around. "Yes, they are," he announced nervously.

Shawn got up from the booth and said with a nervous smile, "Linda! Stacy! We thought you left. Boy, we really thought you left."

Stacy glared at the two. "I forgot my purse. Wasn't that lucky?"

"Oh, yes, very lucky. Here you go," Cory stated, handing Stacy her purse.

"Thank you," she replied sweetly, then whacked Cory in the arm with it.

Cory jolted back, grabbing his arm in pain. "What about him?" he asked, pointing to Shawn. Stacy then did the exact same gesture to Shawn.

I'll skip to the good stuff. Stacy and Linda called them scums for using them, whacked them a bit more, and the best part of all, Shawn actually wanted to thumb wrestle Cory for Linda. What a pig.

After the girls left, Cory and Shawn sat back down at their booth and started talking about the events that just took place.

"You know, I miss Linda already," Cory said sadly.

"I miss Stacy and Linda," Shawn responded.

"And Debbie?"

"And Debbie."

Cory looked at his best friend incredulously. "There is no Debbie!"

"Well, then how come I miss her so much?"

"Because you're nuts."

"So, here we are, just the two of us. Couple of dangerous guys," Shawn narrated.

"Me too?" Cory asked hopefully.

"You? You are very dangerous. You're so dangerous, I am never gonna trust you with a girl again."

"So what you're saying is, I lose my girlfriend but my best friend finally begins to respect me?"

Shawn nodded his head. "Yeah," he answered admittedly.

"I'll take it." Cory smiled and shook hands with Shawn. _Whelp, at least that problem is resolved._

After Cory left to go order food from Chubbies, I went up to their booth and sat across from Shawn.

"Hey," I greeted.

"Let me guess, you heard everything?" Shawn asked.

I hesitantly nodded my head. "Yes, but I came here to tell you something-"

"Well I'm not watering Feeny's garden anymore, alright? The bet's off."

I nodded understandingly. "I know, alright? That's what I came here to tell you before everything went nuts with you and all of your girlfriends. Even Debbie."

Shawn's jaw dropped. "See, I knew she existed!"

I ignored his comment. "Well, what I came here to tell you is that I'm sorry for trying to take advantage of you blah, blah, blah, and that I hope we can put this past us and forget about it."

Shawn's famous smirk returned. "You're really apologizing to me?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Eh, I'm not really apologizing for my sake but for Riley's. And you're not so innocent here either, you tried to take advantage of those girls."

"So what you're telling me is that you're jealous?"

"UGH!" I groaned in frustration. _This guy will never learn, will he?_

* * *

After talking to Shawn, I went directly home because there was still one more person I needed to apologize to, and that would be Mr. Feeny.

"Mr. Feeny?" I called out, then remembered he was probably in the kitchen drinking his four o'clock tea. I entered the kitchen to see what I had predicted to be right. Mr. Feeny was sitting by himself around the kitchen table drinking his tea and reading one of the many long thick books he kept on his shelf.

Mr. Feeny lifted his concentrated gaze from his book to look at me. "Yes Miss Hart? Is there something wrong?"

I nodded. "I'm sorry for interrupting your book but there is something that I need to tell you. Do you have a minute?"

Mr. Feeny motioned for me to sit next to him and I did. "What's the issue Miss Hart?"

I took a deep breath. "I wanted to talk to you about gardening. I know you enjoy getting up really early in the morning to water your plants and I respect that... but I kind of don't. And I was the one to put Shawn up to doing it for me because I had something on him, which I know is wrong now, so I'm sorry."

Mr. Feeny smiled. "Miss Hart, I accidentally overheard your conversation with Miss Matthews when you came home today."

I paused. "Wait, you heard us?" He nodded. "Are you mad?"

"Why would I be upset?"

"Because I totally did not mean to disrespect anything you do and I'm really sorry."

Mr. Feeny shook his head. "No Miss Hart, there is no need to be sorry. I desperately needed a helper and I shouldn't have pushed you to it. In a way, I used you too Miss Hart, therefore I should be the one apologizing."

I raised both my eyebrows. "You?"

"Yes, teacher make mistakes too you see."

I shrugged my shoulders. "I didn't really know that. I thought teachers knew everything."

"Well, it may seem so, but that is far from the truth. Though with time, adults grow to learn from their mistakes and therefore, become wiser. You'll be able to grasp this concept more profoundly as you mature."

I smiled. "I think I already do."

* * *

**Author's Note: Aw! I love ending my chapters on a happy note! :)**

**I know it's like the middle of the week but I thought you guys would like a chapter to keep your lives occupied as mine is right now. I don't think I have a lot to say this time, but there is still one thing I forgot to mention in my last Author's Note and that is about getting other social media accounts for my story. So far Instagram and Pinterest are on the table for discussion. If you guys wanna suggest reasons why you think I should get an Instagram or a Pinterest that you think would be beneficial for my stories then please PM me or mention it in a review and I'll see what I can do about it. Also, I am glad a lot of you enjoyed last chapter and if you wanna leave me any suggestions on how I should go with the T.K. story-line, you are more than welcome to do so! I'll take any suggestions you may have! :) You guys keep on being you and I'll see you this Sunday! Bye!**

**P.S- Follow me on Tumblr and Twitter guys! I am almost at 30 followers on Twitter and 20 followers on Tumblr! :)**

**Quote of the week:**

"There is no greater aspiration than to have love in our lives." -**George Feeny**

**-Mimi1239**


	32. Beautiful Souls

**Hola! It's SUNDAY AND HERE I AM WITH A NEW CHAPTER!**

**Chapter talk: Alright, this chapter is actually the second Christmas episode of the story. It will continue another life-changing experience for one of the girls and as usual, they learn something in the end. This will be focused more about Riley than the rest of the plot-line from the episode, but everything that goes on with Cory really does happen (except for a few things). Keep in mind the title of this chapter as you read. :) Enjoy! (New chapter this Wednesday!)**

**I'd like to give a shout-out those who reviewed my previous chapter: Emma, lucyandcaspianstories, Giggles789, Waffleslover98, stephanie, Anisha, Guest, Pebblemist of LightClan, Ali6133, Experiment 000, AliciaMae02, CabbieLoverSAC22, mrs peeta mellark 2.0, dobegirl15, BagelsandBroadway, and ****harmonizergirl1202**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

_I thought I needed to wear makeup. I thought guys would think I was ugly and nobody would want go out with me to this dance except for Ricky..._

Riley's Point of View

**_Tuesday, December 21st, 1994, Philadelphia_**

**_Past time, 4:03 P.M_**

Last week, Mr. Turner told Mr. Feeny he thought I needed glasses because he noticed in class I held The Lord of the Flies book too close to my face. You know what Mr. Feeny said? That he agreed! That's crazy right? Just because I squinted my face every time I tried to read a book and held it up closer than normal that it would be touching the tip of my nose and it normally gave me a headache. That doesn't mean I needed glasses right?

The eye doctor said otherwise though.

Mr. Feeny sort of tricked me into going to see the eye doctor saying that it was an annual checkup for himself. When we arrived at the doctor's office, Dr. Carter introduced himself and asked me to take a seat in a chair and started explaining the procedure of the eye test to me. I immediately realized Mr. Feeny had lied to me.

"Mr. Feeny, you said we were coming here for you!" I whined.

"Miss Matthews I am only doing what I think is right for you."

Dr. Carter looked up from his clipboard. "Oh, I see this happening all of the time. There's no need to worry Riley, the test doesn't hurt. We just need to see if you're having trouble with your vision."

Dr. Carter was a tall middle-aged, normal weight black man wearing a white lab coat, glasses, and a pen sticking out behind his ear. He had many displays of diplomas, certificates and graduation boards all over his office. At least it showed he was qualified. When I saw all of this, only then did I reluctantly agree to do the eye test.

After Dr. Carter finished my eye test, he took off his glasses and nodded. "Yep, this lil' lady here is gonna need glasses."

I gasped. "I'd like a second opinion" I demanded fearfully.

Dr. Carter chuckled at my overreaction. "It doesn't have to be so bad. Your grandfather wears glasses, that doesn't seem to be so bad, right?"

Mr. Feeny and I gave each other awkward looks. "Oh, uh, he's actually not my grandfather. He's my foster parent."

"Well Riley, do you know of any relatives that wear glasses? the doctor asked.

The only person that I could think of that needed reading glasses was my dad. But I couldn't quite say that given that I wasn't supposed to have a dad since supposedly he was dead.

"I don't have any relatives that I've met before," I lied. "Is there any alternative to this miserable tragity?"

Dr. Carter checked his clipboard. "Hmm, the only alternative there is would be an eye operation."

"S-Sugery?" my voice croaked.

"Yes, but you don't have to worry about that. You don't need to wear glasses all the time. It will only be for reading. You have hyperopia, meaning you are farsighted. You can see from a far distance, just not near. How old are you?"

"Twelve."

Dr. Carter nodded his head. "Yes, you are far too young for surgery."

_There had to be a way of me getting out of wearing glasses... _Then an idea occurred to me.

I smiled hopefully. "What about contact lenses?"

Sadly, the doctor shook his head. "I don't think that's the best option for you."

"I'd like a second opinion!" I repeated again, this time more frantic.

That happened during the weekend. Today I would have to go and pick up my glasses. Wonderful.

* * *

I spun around in the wheelie chair in boredom as Mr. Feeny and I waited for Dr. Carter with my glasses.

"Miss Matthews, it is in your best interest that you stop spinning around in that chair or you will get dizzy," Mr. Feeny warned.

I slightly chuckled, not believing what Mr. Feeny was saying, but later regretted it as I should have listened. "I can handle a little spinning," I said, then got up and started wobbling around the room. I fell on a couch that was conveniently there to break my fall.

Coincidentally, Dr. Carter entered his office right then to see me lying face-down on his couch. "I don't even wanna know," he muttered under his breath, looking down at his clipboard.

After regaining my balance, I lifted myself off the couch. "Dr. Carter, I hope there was a mistake of me needing glasses, because, uh, I feel like I can see better. Watch!" I said, backing up and covering my left eye with my left hand and read off the Snellen chart that was hung up next to the door. "E, F, P, T, O, Z, L, E, D..."

Dr. Carter cut me off. "Riley, Riley, Riley. I was in a meeting for twenty minutes. I'm sorry for having to say this but memorizing the Snellen chart does not mean you do not need glasses. And your far-distance vision is fine. It's your near-distance vision what we are concerned about."

I looked at Dr. Carter with my right eye as I still had my left eye covered up and stepped closer to the Snellen chart. "E, F, P, T, O-"

"Miss Matthews," Mr. Feeny called out, coming up behind me and gently removing my hand from my eye. "Everything will be alright. I can assure you of that."

"You promise?" I asked worriedly.

"I promise."

* * *

_Remind me never to trust George Feeny again..._

I stomped upstairs to my room with my glasses case in my hands. I slammed the door and sat on my dresser chair, folding my arms over my chest. I turned in my chair to see Maya sitting on the bed reading a magazine.

Maya's cheerful smile stunned me. "Hey you. Why so glum chum?"

I held up my glasses case for Maya to see. "Worst. Day. Ever."

She scoffed like it was no big deal. "Come on! It's probably not that bad. Let's see those bad boys on you!" Maya encouraged, getting up from her bed and walking over to stand in front of me.

I shook my head. "Ooh no. There's no way I'm ever gonna let anybody see how horrible I look in these," I paused to put a caring hand on Maya's shoulder. "I love you too much to let that happen."

"Why don't you just show me and I'll be the judge of that?" she suggested.

I sighed reluctantly. "Fine, but I've warned you," I said, taking out my misery out of the case. I turned around in my chair so that she wouldn't be able to see them on me just yet.

"How bad can they be?" Maya asked, speaking too soon. I turned around to face her and Maya winced.

"See?! I told you they were horrible!" I said, about to take off my glasses until Maya grabbed my hands to prevent me from doing so.

"They aren't that bad!"

I glared at her. "Really? I look like Harry Potter!" I exclaimed. "But I can't tell anybody that because Harry Potter doesn't exist yet!"

Maya rolled her eyes. "Riley, keep those glasses on and listen to me," she ordered, turning my chair to force myself to look at my ugly appearance in the mirror. "Now what do you see?"

I gave myself a hard look before saying. "A girl who isn't happy with her appearance," I responded. An idea formed in my head, and I smiled mischievously. "I got it! You know what I need? A makeover!"

"That doesn't sound like a really good idea-"

"Why not?"

Maya looked at me through the mirror. "Riley, last time you tried to wear makeup we got transported to another time period."

I shrugged my shoulders. "So? Things might have changed by now."

"Riles, it's all superficial. You don't need makeup to be beautiful. You are beautiful just the way you are."

"Really? When'd you get so wise?"

Maya shook her head as she thought. "Feeny. He's like a virus. Well, a good virus."

"But I still think-"

"Riley," Maya said, turning my wheelie chair around to face her and put both of her hands on either side, holding onto either arm rests. "When you start wearing makeup, you become a different person. You start relying on it, you don't feel pretty unless you have something like lipstick on, and then mean girls like Melissa and Hilary begin to judge you based on how you look. It's stupid! You understand what I'm saying, right? We don't have to have this discussion again. M'kay?"

I nodded my head, though I knew this was far from over. "M'kay."

* * *

Before heading off to school the next day, I pretended like I "forgot" my glasses at home. But when I was digging through my pencil in my backpack during homeroom, my fingers came into contact with something much larger than my pencil. I pulled out the object to see it was my glasses case. I hit my forehead with my hand. _Mr. Feeny sure knows everything._

Mr. Turner came up to my desk before class started. "Hey Matthews, Mr. Feeny informed me you got your new glasses today. You're gonna use them for when we read _Pygmalion _right?" he asked slowly, nodding his head. For some reason, I started nodding my head too, while smiling.

I giggled nervously. "Right," I said, still nodding.

"That's enough nodding," Mr. Turner said as he stopped nodding. I did as well.

As the bell rung and the remaining left of the class got into their seats, Mr. Turner began teaching.

"Alright, today we will be starting _Pygmalion. _Who would like to read the first act?" Topanga and a few other people's hands immediately flew up like if their life depended on reading the first act of _Pygmalion. _I tried as much as possible to be invisible by putting my head down on my desk and not looking at Mr. Turner. "Anybody? Anybody at all?" he teased, and I knew he was looking straight at me. "Riley Matthews, thank you for volunteering!"

I sighed. _Great..._

"Of course," I said with a fake enthusiastic smile. I took the book in my hands and put it up to my face. "Covent Garden at eleven fifteen pm-"

"Whoa, Miss Matthews aren't you forgetting something?" Mr. Turner asked, interrupting my reading.

The entire class was now looking at me. "What do you mean?" I asked, trying to play dumb.

"Your glasses," Mr. Turner reminded. _Oh no! Now he said it! Now everybody is gonna know..._

"You got glasses Riley?" Cory asked, shifting in his seat to look at me. "Let's see 'em."

"Yeah, let's see your new glasses Riley," Shawn encouraged.

My cheeks felt hot. I looked panicky at Maya for help. She only gave me a look that meant: _you got it chump._

Finally giving in, the entire class watched as I put on my new disappointments. Even Ricky!

I looked down at the first page and began to read, "Covent Garden at eleven fifteen pm. Torrents of heavy summer rain. Cab whistles blowing frantically in all directions. Pedestrians running for shelter into the market and under the portico of St. Paul's Church..."

* * *

I walked out of the classroom in anger as I felt Maya following close behind me.

"Riley, wait!" she called. I stopped abruptly and felt her crash into my back.

I turned myself around to my best friend. "You told me it that I shouldn't wear makeup because people will judge me. Now that I have to wear glasses I just know people are already judging me for it."

"That's ridiculous! Nobody was judging you. Cory and Shawn were just encouraging you to put them on. Nobody wants to make you feel bad."

I shook my head. "I don't even know who I am anymore," I said sadly.

Maya grabbed a hold of my shoulders and turned me to face her. "Listen pumpkin, I know who you are. You're my best friend. Isn't that enough?" I didn't answer. "Riley, isn't that enough?" I grabbed her hands, pushing them off my shoulders and walked away.

* * *

I needed a Plan B. Something that would take everybody's minds off of my glasses and onto something else. And I knew just who to go to for that.

I went into the girls' bathroom where I knew I would find Melissa and Hilary. They were re-applying makeup for the millionth time today as I walked in. Both stopped what they were doing and turned to look at me.

"Oh, look. It's the queen of the geeks," Melissa muttered under her breath as Hilary snickered.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not here to argue with you guys. I wanna be like you. Well, not the 'mean girl' part of you, but the 'makeup-wearing' part of you."

"And what makes you think you can be as pretty as us?" Hilary asked in a snobby tone.

"Look, I know I'm not really pretty, but I do think I have some potential. I'll do anything you ask me to do. I even brought lipstick," I said, pulling out a tube of cheap pink lipstick I picked up at the drug store in the morning.

Both of them looked disgusted by what I had. "Ew! If you think that's gonna help you at all you need some major help," Hilary advised.

"Wait," Melissa said, putting her hand out in front of Hilary to prevent her from getting close to me. Melissa then put that same hand on her hip. "What's in it for us?"

"What do you mean?" I asked nervously.

Melissa looked at me like if I were dumb. "Our services are not free. You need something, we want something," she stated simply.

"What do you want? Do you want me to carry your books? Do your homework? Buy you lunch for a week?" I suggested.

Melissa smirked evilly. "One dance with Shawn Hunter at the Turnaround dance this Friday."

My eyes widened. "Did I hear that right? Y-You like Shawn Hunter?"

Melissa and Hilary burst out in laughter as if what I just said was the most ridiculous thing ever.

"That twerp? Yeah right!" Melissa said as she and Hilary kept laughing. I just stood there with a look of confusion on my face.

"Wait, I don't get it," I said honestly.

Melissa and Hilary stopped laughing after I said that.

Hilary rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Summer school much?" she insulted.

"I just don't understand why you asked me for a dance with Shawn and then turn around and say you don't like him!" I retorted, a little annoyed.

Melissa stepped closer to me intimidatingly. She was about four-inches taller than I was and that was because of her heels.

"You watch that attitude of yours if you want us to help you Miley."

Instead of correcting her like I'd had to do a million times before, I just nodded. "Okay, sorry."

"That's better," Melissa answered, smiling back sweetly in a fake way. "Now what were we talking about again?" she asked as she and Hilary went back to putting on their makeup in the mirror.

"Uh, why you don't like Shawn Hunter," I reminded.

Melissa slightly giggled. "Oh, right. He's the most popular guy in our grade, why shouldn't I dance with him?" Melissa asked like it was the most logical thing in the universe.

I tried to force a smile. "But, and I say this in the most kindest way possible, he's going with Becky Scholtz to the dance. She asked him this morning."

"Oh yeah, we knew that," Hilary replied.

"How?"

"Women's Network, you wouldn't understand," both of them said simultaneously.

All fell silent after that. Melissa turned to look at me waiting for an answer. "So?" she said impatiently.

"Uh, but I just told you Shawn's going with Becky Scholtz-"

Melissa interrupted me. "I can care less about Becky Scholtz. She's the third most popular girl in our grade, and I'm the fourth. You know how I got bumped down to fourth?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

"Because Becky asked out Shawn!" she said furiously. "If people see me dancing with Shawn, they'll know I'm still number three and because Hilary here is my best friend, she'll be bumped up to number four. Becky will be so humiliated that Shawn likes me better she'll mysteriously fall into that swimming pool we have and she'll be out of the Popular List."

I was frightened by the way she said "mysteriously", as if it wouldn't be that much of a mystery at all.

"Uh, okay. Are you sure you don't want me to do your English homework for you? I see you were having trouble with the _Pygmalion_ today... No? Okay..."

* * *

I came to school the next day with my face on. Well, my "makeup face" as Melissa would say. I had red shiny gloss, black and bold mascara, light pink eye-shadow, and a bit of blush on my cheeks. I went over to Melissa's house early in the morning for her to do all this for me.

"Are you going to school dressed like that?" she asked me when she saw I was wearing a light pink shirt with black track pants and sneakers. Being in the past and living with Mr. Feeny had really toned down my fashion. Suddenly I did not care much for heels or clothes as much as I used to.

"Yes, what's wrong with it?" I asked, not really understanding what she was getting out.

"Oh Miley, I don't even know where to begin!" she said exaggeratedly.

And that was how I got to wearing a light purple dress with four-inch heels and ten-pounds of makeup today.

I spotted Ricky talking to a few of his buddies and walked up to him, all of the sudden having the courage to talk to him. I tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around to look at me.

"Riley, is that you?" he asked surprised to see me so dressed up.

"Yeah, it's me. Do you like it?" I asked hopefully.

"You look... different," he answered.

"But do you like it?"

"Riley? What happened to you?" I heard a voice say behind me. I turned around to see Maya standing in front of me with a shocked expression on her face.

"Nothing happened to me. I just got a makeover. Like it?"

Maya sighed. "If you say so,"she said before walking into homeroom.

_What's her deal?_

I focused my attention back to Ricky.

"I know this may sound a little weird but, do you wanna go to the Turnaround dance with me? Unless somebody already asked you, in that case, forget I was here," I said, starting to feel like my old self again. I was about to walk away cowardly when Ricky grabbed my hand and gently pulled me back.

"There's nobody else I would rather go to this dance with."

I smiled meekly. "Is that a yes?"

"Yes."

I decided not to do my happy dance right then. I would have to wait to thank Melissa and Hilary for helping me. But now I also had to do what I promised them I would. And that was to make Becky Scholtz night at the dance the most embarrassing night in her life. _What was I supposed to do now?_

* * *

I went up to Shawn during lunch and asked if I could speak to him alone. He was sitting with Becky Scholtz in the cafeteria. How was that not supposed to make me feel guilty about what I was about to do?

"What's up?" Shawn asked me when we exited the cafeteria and stood by our lockers.

I gave Shawn an awkward and friendly punch on the shoulder. "Uh, you know we don't talk a lot to each other. We should really talk more often, don't you agree?"

Shawn raised an eyebrow. "Is there something I should know?"

"Why would you say that?"

"You're right. We barely talk."

_I was about to hook up my uncle with the meanest girl in school. How messed up was that?_

I decided to drop the awkward act. "Okay listen, I kind of promised Melissa one dance with you tomorrow. You're alright with that right?"

"Really? Melissa wants to dance with me? Alright!" Shawn exclaimed happily. _Oh right, I almost forgot he was girl-crazy._

My heart beat returned back to a normal rate. "Perfect! See you there!" I said enthusiastically. _Everything's going according to plan._

* * *

I arrived at the dance and entered the gymnasium, a little trouble holding onto my balance since I was now wearing six-inch stilettos, in recommendation from Melissa of course. I soon regretted going to the dance wearing them though, since I could barely walk and my feet were killing me.

I tried as hard as I could to walk over to Ricky, who was by the punch, without wincing in pain with every step I took.

"Hey, you made it," I greeted.

Ricky nodded. He was wearing a plaid and a pair of jeans. He looked over to see what I was wearing. A red sleeveless dress that was down to my knees. "Aren't you a little over-dressed for this dance?"

I slightly chuckled nervously. "Yeah, I guess I am. Melissa Harrington helped me out. I don't normally dress like this."

"Then why did you?"

I paused to think. "Because I thought you would like it?"

Ricky gave me a sorry look. "I'm sorry Riley, but I don't."

I don't know what possessed me to do what I did next but I took off my heels and ran for the pool area outside the gym. A bunch of the cool kids, including Melissa and Hilary, were standing there with some guys talking about jumping into the pool. What caught me off guard was that Ingrid, the cool looking girl with no glasses on, who was supposed to be Cory's date to the dance, was there talking to one of the cool guys. _Where have I been in the last two days?_

Settling myself on the edge of the pool, I touched the water to see it was warm. I almost didn't notice when someone sat next to me.

"Hey chump," the person said. I recognized that voice as Maya's.

"Hey," I said, wiping a tear that had slid down my face, ruining my mascara.

"Why so glum, chum? Makeup's not working for ya?" she teased.

I broke out a small smile. "Okay, I guess I deserved that," I admitted.

"Riley, what's wrong? I hate seeing you this upset."

I sunk my feet into the pool water. I stared at my reflection in the chlorine water.

"Ricky's the only guy that's ever liked me without makeup."

Maya furrowed her eyebrows. "Wait, what about cowboy? He liked you."

I shook my head. "Lucas was only interested in me and the only time he bothered asking me out was when I was wearing makeup."

"Don't say that. You can't blame Ranger Rick when we're twenty years into the past. He always liked you Riley, I am sure of that."

"I thought I needed to wear makeup. I thought guys would think I was ugly with my glasses and nobody would want go out with me to this dance except for Ricky. I don't know even know how you stand living with me when I'm so conceited."

Maya smiled comforting. "Don't say that about my best friend. Riley, I have known you all my life and you know what's my favorite thing about you?"

"What's that?"

"How humble you've stayed. How you've never cared how dorky you look when you get excited about the smallest things. How you can brighten up everybody's day by just smiling at them. Nobody else I know can do that but you."

Again, I looked at my reflection in the chlorine water. "I wish I had my glasses right now..."

"Already ahead of you," Maya said as she smirked, pulling out my glasses from her back pocket as if by magic.

I put them on and stared at my reflection with a different perspective on how I looked. Underneath the frames, I still looked the same.

"What do you see?" Maya repeated, much like she did when I first put them on two days ago.

"I see... me!"

"And is there anything wrong with that?"

"Nope," I said happily.

"You finally got it kiddo," Maya said before we gave each other a tight hug. I scooped up water from the pool to wash off the makeup off my face.

I realized then that I almost forgot something. "Oh no."

"What's 'oh no'?" Maya asked a little scared.

"I promised Melissa Harrington a dance with Shawn when I know I shouldn't have and now I've got to fix this!" I said, about to get up when Maya pulled me back down.

"You did WHAT?"

"There's no time for you to get angry with me!" I said, unlatching Maya's hand from me and ran off in the direction that I predicted was the entrance of the gymnasium to look for Shawn. Common sense would probably say to take off my glasses because I could barely see since they were only for reading!

"Shawn?" I said, touching a guy's face who I hoped was Shawn. I could only see a blurry figure with lots of shapes around him.

"Yeah?" he asked, grabbing my hands to stop me from touching his face any further. "What's wrong?"

"Don't dance with Melissa. You shouldn't do that to Becky," I stated, and an awkward silence fell into the atmosphere. "What did I do?"

"Uh, Riley? Becky's right here," Shawn said.

"Oh..." I said awkwardly. "Sorry to have to break the news to you Becky."

"I can't believe you Shawn Hunter!" I heard a female voice say, hitting Shawn with her purse. "After everything I did for you, this is how you repay me?"

"Becky, Becky, Becky. It's not what it looks like. I was not going to dance with Melissa Harrington," he lied.

"Yeah right," Becky said, hitting Shawn one more time before storming off.

"This night just keeps getting better and better," I said.

Someone suddenly tapped me on the shoulder. I turn around to see a female figure with long hair. "Riley? Isn't it time for my dance with Shawn?"

Guess she didn't see what just happened. "Forget it Melissa, the deal is off. All you ever care about is your looks and popularity. You like to use people in order to get what you want. That's not how friendships should be. I used to think you felt bad for me for not wearing stiletto shoes and not caring what people think of me, but now I feel sorry for you." The entire gymnasium was now clapping and cheering. "By the way, my name is Riley."

Melissa scoffed. "You'll never be as good as me," she said, before walking off.

_Did I just stand up to Melissa Harrington?_

Again I was tapped on the shoulder. Thinking it was someone like Hilary, I turned around and said, "I'm not in the mood for this."

"Alright, but you're the one who asked me to this dance."

I turned back around and smiled sheepishly. "Oh, it's you. So you heard everything."

"Yeah, I did," Ricky said, taking off my glasses. My vision adjusted and I could see a whole lot better now. "You were amazing Riley. I always knew you had it in you."

"So what do you think of me now? No makeup, no heels, and if I could see in these glasses I would have them on."

Ricky chuckled. "You're funny. Riley, I've always liked you for you. I've been meaning to get to know you since I first met you at the orphanage."

I smiled. "You mean when I first woke up from unconsciousness?"

"Yeah, since then. I've always liked you for you."

Coincidentally, Endless Love began playing. That had been the song Ricky and I danced to at Chubbies when he gave me my first kiss.

"Wanna dance?" I asked him.

He nodded his head and we moved ourselves to the dance floor. I spotted Maya surprisingly dancing with Shawn. I would later ask her about it and she would tell me it was because she took pity on Shawn about what happened with Becky and Melissa. _Suree..._

The couple I was most happy of seeing on the dance floor with the rest of us were my parents. They really were right for each other.

"You're beautiful Riley," Ricky complimented. I blushed.

"Even with my glasses?"

"You're even more beautiful with them."

* * *

**Author's Note: Before you say you didn't really like Riley in the chapter, blah, blah, blah, I'll just remind you that a lot of teenagers and adults go through phases in which they want to change their external appearances so they try as hard as possible to achieve that. I hope you got the message as you paid close attention to the tittle. :)**

**I felt like this chapter really hit home to me because I found out literally two years ago that I needed glasses when I couldn't see anything on the board in English class so I went to the eye doctor and everything. I didn't try to get out of it like Riley did, I just accepted it the way it was. Initially, I was embarrassed to be seen wearing glasses when now I know I shouldn't have been. Half of my class wore glasses too! It's always hard in the beginning, you might get made fun of for looking differently, but things do get better. They do get easier, take it from me ;)**

**P.S- Don't forget to check my Tumblr Q&amp;A Blog from last chapter and to follow me on Twitter for more info on the story and my other stories! :) Also, I am getting an Instagram and a Pinterest. More on that soon! (Reminder: New chapter on Wednesday!)**

**Quote of the week:**

"There's going to be a lot of changes in your life, Cory. It's not the changes that matter, it's how you react to the changes. That's what makes you who you are." -**Eric Matthews**

**-Mimi1239**


	33. What Girls Want

**Another Sunday update! For those of you who haven't caught on yet I will be updating every Wednesday and Sunday until I get caught up with my schedule. Lucky for you guys, but it's gonna be hard work for me! Eh, we'll just have to see how things go. I've got a lot of homework to get done today. A lot. Like I mean I have to read A Tale of Two Cities by today or I am screwed.**

*****I know this chapter was supposed to come out on Wednesday, so please be patient with me. I will be going to Cleveland this Friday on a band trip for 3 days and I may not be able to update at all this week. I will have a lot to catch up on with homework. Especially for English. Thanks for understanding. For those that don't, it is what is it, as my music teacher always says.*****

**I know I already did this on Twitter but my prayers and best hopes go out to those affected in the Baltimore Riot and Nepal Earthquake. If anybody who was affected by these two events is reading this right now, I know it might not be much, but I hope this chapter brightens up your day a little. :) I hope you are all safe and sound. Stay strong guys! This chapter is dedicated to especially you guys.**

**Chapter talk: This takes place during Cyrano. It's an episode that I haven't really put a lot of attention to so I had to go back and re-watch the whole thing. I liked it a lot! So basically, it's about what the title says obviously. Also, it's Maya's birthday, so you'll see how that fits in with everything. ;)**

**I'd like to give a shout-out to those of you who reviewed my previous chapter: Pebblemist of LightClan, mhernandez5, Lanidays, DilaLOVE, Writingisbeauty, radioaction, Giggles789, Ali6132, Twinkletoes626, angel, stephanie, AliciaMae26, CabbieLoverSAC22, dobegirl15, Hibabubba24, mrs peeta mellark 2.0, BagelsandBroadway, harmonizergirl1202, Emma, and LoveShipper. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or it's spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

_What girls saw as romantic, guys saw as dip-like? Well, to be fair I was getting my sources from a seventh grade English classroom in 1995._

Maya's Point of View

**_Thursday, January 12th, 1995, Philadelphia_**

**_Past time, 8:45 A.M_**

What did guys think girls want? I'd been pondering on this idea for many days, hoping to find a decent answer to satisfy my want for this information just as my birthday was creeping up around the corner. Today in class, the mystery was solved. At least I thought it was.

We were reading the Cyrano de Bergerac book in class. Why did it seem like every week we were reading a different book?

Turner was walking around the classroom as he summarized what we had just read. "Cyrano de Bergerac stands in the shadows whispering poetry to the lovely Roxanne, but she thinks it's the good-looking guy speaking to her. So our poor, big-nosed lug wins the heart of the woman he loves, but he wins it for somebody else."

Topanga sighed dreamily. "That is so sweet and so noble, that he would sacrifice his own happiness to help his friend."

"Other opinions?" Mr. Turner asked. For some strange reason I felt the need to answer this question, so I raised up my hand, something I rarely did. "Alright, take it away Hart."

I stood up and put my hands behind my back. "I think this Cyrano guy shouldn't have gotten himself into this situation in the first place, but now that he did, he demonstrated a noble and generous act. By helping out a friend, he put his feelings aside and sacrificed his love for the Roxanne chick and that's what really counts in the end."

The class paused.

"What just happened?" Turner asked confusingly.

Before Shawn or Cory were able to respond, I bend down eye level to them and whispered threateningly, "If you say I'm a disgrace to the entire back row I will kill you both." Not that I really meant it, I just liked scaring the boys.

"That was very well-thought out Miss Hart," Turner congratulated.

I smirked. "Do I get an 'A'?"

"Not a chance."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Yeah well, I knew that was coming." I sat back down in my seat as Turner continued the class discussion.

"Anybody else have an option?" he asked, pacing around the classroom. Riley put her head down shyly as she tried to be invisible from Turner's eyes. "How about you Riley? You haven't raised up your hand in... never," Turner joked to try to make her more at ease.

Riley smiled sheepishly, adjusting her reading glasses. "Well uh, I don't really have an option."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm still confused about everything that exists in this universe," Riley answered boldly.

"Enough said," Turner stated, giving up on his interrogation with Riley. "Anybody else?"

"Loser!" all the boys called out, including Cory and Shawn.

"Okay, define 'loser'," Turner challenged.

"Big dip," Shawn explained.

"It makes no sense," Cory added. "I mean, he likes this girl and then he passes her on to another guy."

Shawn agreed. "Dip, the biggest."

"Topanga or Maya, can you refute the 'dip' theory?" Turner asked us.

Topanga turned to see me give her an approving nod.

Topanga explained, "Cyrano performs a totally selfless act and he does it for the sake of love. That is so romantic."

"Why?" Shawn defends. "What does he get out of it? He knocks himself out spewing poetry, his friend gets the girl All he can do is go home and blow his big nose."

"Rebuttal from the estrogen section, go for it Maya," Turner encouraged, pointing to me. _What's with teachers today and their enthusiasm? _

"Boys don't understand passion and romance, and will never understand women?" I tried.

Topanga turned herself to Cory and Shawn. "And that's why all of you will spend half your lives confused and the other half paying alimony."

Turner rubbed his chin in thought. "This is interesting. The women here find Cyrano compelling and romantic, and yet the men find him misguided and dip-like. What does this tell us?

"Women like dips?" Cory guessed.

Turner shook his head. "Sorry, Matthews, no luck. It tells us that men have a hard time understanding what women find romantic."

"Will that be on the test?" Shawn asked worriedly.

"Oh, yeah, in ways you can not yet imagine," Turner answered frighteningly. _Funny how life works._

* * *

Harley was hanging around his new girlfriend and his lackies in the hallway at lunch. Wish we would have known that before hand.

The four of us had just finished eating our lunches when we walked into the hallway and started making fun of Harley's greasy hair out-loud.

"I'm telling you, the macaroni and cheese had more grease than Harley's hair," Cory commented as we all laughed.

"I think that's how they made it, they just turned him over and wrung him out," Shawn joked, making a 'wrung out' motion. Riley and I paused when we realized Harley was right in front of us with his lackies and girlfriend, and worst of all, that he had seen the whole thing.

I elbowed Shawn and the two boys turned to see why we had stopped. They both froze and gasped simultaneously, pointing a finger at Harley.

"And I thought it was gonna be a slow day," Harley sneered threateningly, walking toward Cory and Shawn slowly.

Cory fidgeted nervously. "What? You thought we were talking about your hair? No, no! Everyone knows your hair's not greasy."

"Why don't you test it and tell me?" Harley asked seriously.

Cory touched Harley's greased-up hair cautiously and lightly. He felt it between his fingertips. "Wow, dry as a bone," he said, leaning against the lockers with the hand he had used to touch Harley's hair and quickly slid to the floor, proving his own theory that Harley's hair was in fact too greasy, which was not a good thing.

After Cory scrambled himself off the floor, Harley gave him a quarter. "Here's a quarter, baboon. Call your parents- say goodbye."

Cory and Shawn quickly backed up as Harley came charging towards them again.

"Uh, Harley, you know, in many countries, what I said about your hair, it might be considered a compliment. For example, Greece!" Cory said.

Harley's girlfriend laughed. "That's funny," she said in that same Brooklyn accent Harley's gang seemed to carry.

Harley smirked. "Yeah, yeah, he's a pretty funny guy."

"So I guess I get to live, huh?" Cory asked hopefully.

Harley wasn't laughing. "Ha! There's that humor again. I will miss that."

Harley's girlfriend clung to him. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, Harley Are you sure you gotta beat him up?" she whined. On second thought, she was trying to help the guys.

Cory stuttered nervously. "Y-Yeah, you don't wanna do something ugly to us in front of this beautiful angel of the hallway."

Riley looked at me and rolled her eyes. I knew she wasn't liking what she was hearing, but at least it would get her dad out of trouble.

Shawn stepped up to Harley's tall, blonde girlfriend with a leather jacket and a leather mini skirt. "Harley, why would you waste your time pounding us when you could be spending it with Claudia Schiffer's cuter sister?" he flirted.

Okay so what I had just discovered was that the difference between Cory and Shawn was that Shawn's a better flirt. That was not okay!

Harley's girlfriend smiled flirtatiously and walked closer to Shawn. "Oh, I don't know that I would say cuter."

Harley jumped in front of Shawn and his girlfriend. "Turn it off!" he demanded.

"Turning it off, sir," Shawn whipped off his flirtatious smile immediately, going back and hiding behind Cory.

Harley's girlfriend grabbed onto Harley's arm again. "Oh, come on, Harley, go easy on 'em. Do it for me," she pouted.

Strangely, Harley sympathized with her. "Very well, Gloria. I will not lay a hand on them." We all sighed with relief until he grabbed onto Cory and Shawn by the collar of their shirts and threw them to Frankie. "Frankie, remember that piñata I promised you for your birthday? Here's two."

"Hey, you can't do that!" Riley argued. Everybody turned to stare at her.

I elbowed Riley and whispered, "Riles, what are you doing? They're gonna use you as the stick!"

Riley nodded understandingly. "Got it." Her eyes focused on the gang before her. "Did I say you can't do that? I mean, you _should _do that. Right Maya?" she asked me weakly.

I rolled my eyes and muttered, "Nice save."

Harley chose to ignore us and continue what he was doing. "Frankie, come on! Ya don't want your piñatas to get cold!"

As Frankie dragged away our two guy friends, Cory turned to look at Riley and said, "Yeah, thanks for the help."

While Shawn turned to me and professed, "I've always loved you Maya, never forget me!"

I snickered at the exaggeration. "Yeah, you'll live."

* * *

What did guys think girls wanted? I know I had talked about this before, but what I thought I got from Turner's class today was useful when it really wasn't. What girls saw as romantic, guys saw as dip-like? Well, to be fair I was getting my sources from a seventh grade English classroom in 1995. _Why was I worrying so much about this? _

Riley couldn't stop worrying about the boys when we got home from school. I reassured her that nothing bad happened to them.

We settled our bags on the couch as Riley ranted, "How do you know? What if Frankie ate them? I mean they weren't in History class today, we might as well kiss our butts goodbye that we'll ever exist-"

"Good afternoon Miss Matthews and Miss Hart, care to join me for a snack before I head off to the grocery store?" _Why did that have to sound so familiar?_

I was afraid to turn around but I knew we eventually had to. I was the first one to and my eyes landed on Mr. Feeny. _Had he heard everything we had just said?_

"No, we're alright. Right Riles?" I asked her, realizing she still had her back facing Mr. Feeny so I turned her around.

She nodded. "Uh, no. We're good. Right Maya?"

I mentally kicked myself. _Could she be anymore obvious?_

Mr. Feeny nodded his head understandingly. "Alright, I understand when you need your privacy girls. Don't hesitate to tell me. Oh, I almost forgot. have you distributed the invitations yet Miss Matthews?"

I raised an eyebrow at Riley. "What invitations?"

Riley smiled sheepishly. "Mr. Feeny, with all due respect, I told you I wanted it to be a secret!"

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What secret?"

"I'm sorry Miss Matthews, I just assumed because you knew about your surprise birthday party that you'd already told Miss Hart about hers," Mr. Feeny explained. _Oh, so that was what this was all about..._

I smirked. "You're throwing a surprise party for me?" I asked Riley.

Riley sighed. "It was gonna be a surprise."

"I'm truly sorry Miss Matthews," Mr. Feeny apologized.

Riley smiled. "It's alright Mr. Feeny, I know Maya hates surprises." She wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

I nodded and smiled back. "That's very true."

* * *

I didn't have the best memories of my birthday. My father never sent me anything- it was like I didn't exist to him anymore after the divorce. And my mother... well at least she stayed. But we really never had a strong bond in our relationship, so I let her work a couple of more hours at the Nighthawk Diner while I stayed downstairs at the Matthews apartment to celebrate my birthday. They were good people.

When I heard Riley was throwing a party for me, I wanted to jump with excitement. Like a little kid being taken to the zoo, with his kind and loving family. I was lucky to have gotten at least a taste of that feeling with the Matthews.

I was thinking about all of this as I went to bed that night, and then the next day it was all that could fill my head to keep me occupied. Riley was worried about what had happened with Cory and Shawn so we went to check on them at school and caught them going into Shawn's locker. _What the heck?_

When we saw Frankie leaning against the locker with Cory and Shawn inside, we thought the worst. We thought Frankie was slowly starting to suffocate them and this was his way of killing them "accidentally". We observed all of this while hiding behind a trash can. Yeah, I know, real "sanitary", right?

"What's he saying?" Riley whispered to me.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know. But Harley's girlfriend is talking to him. He seems kind of nervous, doesn't he?"

A strange idea occurred to Riley. "What if he likes her?"

"You think so? What would Harley say?"

I felt myself being lifted to my feet. "I think Harley would say what the heck are you two baboons doing?" I turned around to see Harley's angry face close to ours.

Surprisingly, Riley was the first one to speak. "What? Nothing! We're not doing anything... please don't kill us!" she shrieked.

Harley smirked. "Why would I kill you unless you don't tell me what you were doing?"

"It's none of your business Keiner," I defended.

Cory and Shawn came out of the locker and started talking about "circumcised evidence". I really did not want to know what that meant but of course Harley did. Harley was always in everybody's businesses.

"Didn't I tell Frankie to dispose you guys?" Harley asked.

Cory and Shawn clung to each other nervously like wet shaking chihuahuas.

"Y-Yes, and he did," Cory confirmed.

"He killed us big time," Shawn added.

"And now... we're the angels of ourselves," Cory made up.

"And it's time for us to float away," Shawn said. Then they started making flapping motions with their arms. _Oh, how ridiculous can these two get?_

"Either of you baboons see my girl?" Harley wondered intimidatingly to the four of us.

"You mean Gloria?" I asked like I didn't know.

"No, we haven't seen her," Riley lied.

"No, there's no reason we could have seen her," Cory added.

"We were in the locker the whole time," Shawn included. _Shoot! Why was it always him who got us in trouble?_

Harley stood over us. "The whole time what baboons?" he asked, shoving us all into the boys' washroom. _Oh kill me right now!_

* * *

So far I did not know the answer to my question, but I knew one thing was for sure. Boys were disgusting! They left toilet paper everywhere on the dirty bathroom floor and guess what else? They didn't even have soap! I needed to remind myself to never shake a boy's hand ever again.

Back to the topic at hand. I don't know how he did it but Harley was able to force us four into Chubbies. Everybody left after they saw Harley meant business. We didn't even try to get out of it since we knew it was no use.

By Frankie's large size we were able to quickly spot him and Gloria sitting at a booth holding hands. Frankie was saying love poems, and Gloria actually looked happy.

"My world is shattered. I feel so vulnerable. Think I'm going to have to kill somebody," Harley said threateningly, looking at all four of us. Riley gulped.

Harley pushed us all forward, almost falling on top of Frankie and Gloria's table.

"Frankie, Gloria, imagine my surprise," Harley said in a calming yet intimidating manner.

"Harley, I can explain," Frankie said.

"I look forward to hearing it."

"I went behind your back and stole your girl," Frankie confessed. "I know this is a betrayal of a sacred trust, but I have no choice. I am but a pawn of love."

"How could you do this to me?" Harley asked Gloria.

Gloria stood up and looked at Harley angrily. "You wanna know how? I'll tell you how. All it took was somebody saying something nice to me for a change. Making me feel special for a change!"

"I make you feel special," Harley defended. "I get you stuff."

"What did you ever get me that made me feel special?"

"Tires! Steel-belted."

Gloria held up three fingers. "Three!"

"The guy came back!"

"You never think about what I like!"

"I ain't got that kind of time!" Harley said coldly.

"Maybe you should've made some time," Gloria argued. "Maybe if you cared about me and thought about me, instead of all the time thinking about you!"

"If I thought about you, who'd think about me, huh?"

The way they argued reminded me some-what of my parents. I mean, they didn't have those thick Brooklyn accents or wear leather jackets. That would just be a little strange for our time, but for here it was perfectly okay. Coincidentally they were arguing about what every single couple in the world did as well. About what each side of the relationship wanted.

"Guys!" I shouted over their loud voices.

"What?!" they both shouted back.

"Can't we fix this without all the yelling? You know, every couple goes through this," I revealed. "Why don't we talk about this like normal people? Harley, why don't you try to appreciate Gloria more? Give her flowers, take her out to dinner. Walk her to her porch and say something romantic!"

"He doesn't have to do all that! Why should he?" Shawn argued. _Whoa, what just happened?_

I put my hands on my hips. "Because it's the boyfriend-thing to do. But I know you wouldn't understand because all you ever care about is making out!"

Riley gasped. "Maya-"

"Don't worry Riley we never did that," I quickly cleared up.

Cory stepped into the conversation. "Why do guys have to do everything? Girls have it easy, all they have to do is wait to be served like royalty."

"Because guys should do that without being told to," Riley defended.

I point an accusing finger at the two boys. "You guys don't know anything about girls!-"

"Baboons, shut up!" Harley yelled. We all fell silent. "When did this become a kiddie fight? This is between Gloria, Frankie and me. I'll deal with you all later."

"Harley, my parents are going through it," Cory explained.

"Your parents do this?"

Cory shrugged his shoulders. "Well, not quite as loud, but yeah. See, my mom's mad at my dad because he got her a trash compactor for their anniversary."

"So your parents, they gonna split up?" Harley asked.

"No. I mean, they'll work it out. They always do."

"How?"

Cory shrugged his shoulders again. "I don't know."

"But they always do?"

"Yeah," Cory answered. Harley looked at us all one last time before walking out of Chubbies.

Gloria and Frankie went back to flirting. I stood there, stunned.

I tapped Gloria on the shoulder. "Wait, that's it? Don't you want him back?"

Gloria looked at me strangely. "Are you kiddin'? It was a two week dating deal, it's over."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really? Just like that?"

She nodded. "Just like that."

* * *

Two days later Riley was blowing up balloons for my party. I regretted ever giving her the task to do so, because she would suck the helium out of the balloon and sing happy birthday to me in a really high-pitched voice. But I had to love her for trying to make me laugh.

"Happy thirteen birthday Maya!" Riley said once in her helium high-pitched voice, hugging me sideways. I hugged her arms as she snuggled her face in my hair.

"Okay peppy Riley. I think you've had enough helium for one day," I said, slowly taking away the balloon like a protective mother would do to her hyper child.

Once everybody who we invited showed up (which were pretty much the same people who we invited for Riley's party last year), everybody sat around the living room to talk.

I was sitting next to Riley on one side and Shawn and Cory were sitting next to me on the other side. Eric and Morgan were in front of us as Eric had Morgan on his lap.

"Wait till you see what we got you," Shawn bragged.

"What? A bag full of rats?" I guessed jokingly.

"Something smaller," Cory hinted.

I shrugged. "I shouldn't even be guessing, I know you guys don't know me well enough to get me what I want."

"How do you know that?" Shawn asked.

"Because of the way you were talking about how girls don't like romantic stuff the other day. You think girls have it easy but we don't."

"This will make up for us saying that," Shawn explained.

I rolled my eyes. "I doubt it."

* * *

The truth was that even I didn't know what I wanted for my birthday. So I guess that meant that Cory and Shawn were claiming that they knew me better than I knew myself. I guess we would just have to see.

After I made my wish and blew out my candles, people started handing me their presents. The first one I decided to open was Mr. Feeny's. It was one of the old vintage watches that he collected.

"It is so that you can keep living every minute of every day Miss Hart," Mr. Feeny explained. I got up and hugged him, thanking him for the gift.

Next present I opened was Riley's. It was a notebook.

"What's this notebook for?" I asked her.

"It's a diary silly!" Riley giggled. "So that you can write about all of our adventures we've shared together and all the ones we're going to share together."

I hugged my best friend.

I decided that after I opened everybody's presents that I would open Cory and Shawn's last. Indeed, it was a small box. Thinking it would be something like a ring pop to fool me, I opened it up with no expectations. When I realized what it really was, I gasped.

"A locket?" I asked in disbelief, pulling out the heart-shaped locket by the chain. It was almost like the one I had always wanted. Like the one I found in that lost and found once but gave it back to the little girl who had lost it on the subway.

Cory nodded. "Yeah, and it's shaped like a heart. Get it? Maya _Hart_."

Getting very overwhelmed, I hugged both boys. I was completely aware Shawn was hugging me tighter but at that moment I didn't really care.

"It was all my idea!" Shawn exclaimed once I let go of them.

Cory elbowed his best friend. "What are you talking about? I was the one who said, 'let's go buy Maya a locket'."

"Fine! But I was the one who thought to put our pictures in the locket!"

I opened up the locket to find a picture of Cory and Shawn smiling in it. _Never realized how much I could count on those two. _Maybe I was the one who hadn't appreciated them very much. Maybe the question of what all girls really wanted didn't really have an answer, because not every girl wanted the same. Some girls like Gloria, wanted tires and to have someone poetic like Frankie. Mrs. Matthews wanted Mr. Matthews to be more thoughtful in his anniversary gift. That Roxanne chick from the story wanted that good-looking guy 'cause she thought he was romantic and obviously good-looking. What did I want? Friends that always have my back? A confidant to talk to when I'm in trouble?

Looking around the party room specifically at Riley, Mr. Feeny, Shawn and Cory, I realized what I thought I wanted, I already have.

* * *

**Author's Note: So remember the contest is still running. You can still enter if you'd like to. You have to be able to be in contact me either through Fanfiction, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, email, or anything else that I have missed. Reminder that the deadline is a week before May 31st in order for me to make my final decision in advanced. That means that the last day to submit your quotes and reviews is on Sunday, May 24th, 2015 and the chapter is titled "Late Blooming".**

**I worked on the SYITN Trailer yesterday which is why I wasn't able to publish this sooner. I have no idea when I'll have it ready but I hope you enjoy it when it comes out! I'll let you know before of course. It'll be posted on YouTube. **

**Quote of the week:**

"I've worked for two days, painted sixteen shutters and a fence. Know how much money I made? I owe eight bucks." **-Cory Matthews**

**P.S- Check out the Tumblr Q&amp;A Blog from last chapter! Follow me on Twitter and now also Instagram and Pinterest! Same username and handle from Twitter. For more info, go to my bio and check under Social Media Stuff (Where to Contact Me).**

**Wish me luck on my Cleveland trip if I don't update before then, and I hope to see you all soon! (Well, not _physically see_, but you know what I mean). ;)**

**-Mimi1239**


	34. Bite Off More than You Can Chew

**I'm BAACK! Hopefully you guys haven't given up on this story just yet because we still have a long way to go from here! :) I just wanna start off by first saying thank you to everybody who has followed me on Twitter over the past month and a half while I was on my break. I got a chance to go to Cleveland, Ohio with my band and it was seriously the best trip I've ever gone to! :) We came back with a Superior rating! My exams ended last Friday (if you have been following my tweets, you would notice that was all I was tweeting about), which I'm really relieved about, especially for English lol. It's summer now, so I guess it's a new beginning for all of us! Everybody's getting older, as am I. I will be playing at my sister's graduation this Thursday. So wish me luck!**

**I watched all of the season 2 episodes so far and I thought they were great! I'm excited to see what else is in store this summer! :D**

**Chapter talk: This chapter is of course based on the episode _I am Not a Crook! _You know when you've promised so many things to so many people and by the time it's too late you've realized you cannot keep all these promises and you're completely screwed now no matter what you do? This chapter will touch about that topic and what happens when a promised that cannot be kept ends up going way too far for anybody to handle...**

**I'd like to give a shout-out to those who reviewed my previous chapter: Jessie, Twinkletoes626, alyssaunicorn, Emma, stephanie, Experiment 000, AliciaMae02, Ali6132, mhernandez5, Waffleslover98, harmonizergirl1202, dobegirl15, BagelsandBroadway, CabbieLoverSAC22, Giggles789, mrs peeta mellark 2.0, LoverShipper, Pebblemist of Light Clan, jenna323.m, and Glee Clue Rock 1251.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off Girl Meets World.**

* * *

Riley's Point of View

_Was my entire existence only a repeat of what my father did in the past? Would I eventually find my "Topanga" someday? I wasn't completely sure of that, but soon I would find out..._

_**Monday, January 23rd, 1995, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 6:04 A.M**_

"Riley, it's time to get up honey! You have school!"

I was still so drowsy from not sleeping very well that I actually believed it was my mother trying to get me up. I waved my hand in a shooing manner and wrapped the pillow over my ears tightly as I could see a bright light through my eyelids. I had actually believed my mother opened up my bay window in order to force me to wake up.

Why did I get the feeling that everything I had experienced when I was in the seventh grade in the present time was already experienced by my dad in the past time? I thought back to my first "popular" party that I went to that ended up being a geek party and then thought back to how my dad was also invited to a geek party recently. The fact that I was gullible enough to go with him thinking Melissa actually thought I was cool was the worst part of it all!

I groaned. "Mom, is that you?" I asked reaching my hand out to touch of the person who had woken me up.

The person took my hand and pulled me up so that I was sitting up-right. "Nope, sorry to disappoint you Riley but this is still Maya," Maya responded, running a hand over her locks.

I groaned once more. "Why do I need to get up when all I know that we're just making things worse by being here?" I shifted my body over to look at the alarm clock on my night-stand. "And why are you waking me up at six in the morning?"

"Because today is extra-curricular day and you need to look extra sharp."

I gave my best friend an odd look. "Since when have you cared about extra-curricular?"

Maya rolled her eyes because I was not getting her hints. "Since I _heard_ elections for 8th grade president is starting today and I thought you would be perfect for it," she responded gleefully, playfully poking the tip of my nose with her index finger. _What was Maya's problem? Even I wasn't that perky this early!_

I looked at her suspiciously. "What's the catch Maya?"

Maya snorted. "No catch, why would there be a catch?"

"Because I know you."

Maya wiped the enthusiastic smile off her face. "Good enough. If you run for 8th grade president, I wanna be your campaign manager."

I got off my bed and began to pace around the room with a hand rubbing my chin in deep sarcastic thought. "Hmm, campaign manager... Where have I heard that before? Oh right, because it already happened!"

Maya glared at me. "I _know _it already happened Riles, I just want you to have another opportunity to run for president! Is that too much to ask for?"

I shook my head, refusing to believe that was all Maya wanted. "Not when the last time I ran for president, I dressed up as a princess and rode a fake unicorn in school but I lost anyway because Lucas was perfect for the job."

"But Lucas took you riding on that fake unicorn, didn't he? Remember that?" Maya urged.

Just the thought of it made me smile dreamily. "Yeah that was fun... But you want to be my campaign manager. What's up with that?"

Maya sat down on my bed and I sat next to her. Maya looked down in shame as she fidgeted with her hands. "I might have made this bet with someone that you would run for president..."

"What?"

"And that you would win..."

"WHAT? Wait, let me guess. This person name's doesn't happen to rhyme with 'Ron' does it?" Maya nodded hesitantly. "And you didn't so happen to have made-out with this person a few weeks ago right?"

Maya stood up off my bed. "Hey, in my defense, that was only one kiss and it didn't even last that long." I gave her a look. "Alright, two kisses! There, you're happy now?"

"Why would you make a bet with him? What did you bet on anyway?"

Maya stared up at the ceiling. "Um, well if I win, Shawn buys me lunch for one week."

"And if you lose?"

"I have to go on a date with Shawn?" she responded weakly.

I was about to start nagging at her when I realized something. "Wait a second," I chuckled. "If you win Shawn's gonna buy you lunch for a week?"

Maya raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, what's so funny about that? At least then I won't have to eat any one of Feeny's plants he usually sends us for lunch."

I sniffled a giggle. "Maya, you never thought about how Shawn's planning on _paying_ for your lunch when he doesn't even have money to buy anything for himself?"

Maya shrugged her shoulders embarrassed. "No, I just assumed he had something on the lunch lady and that he would get me lunch for free."

I put a comforting hand on her shoulders. "Not gonna happen sister."

"Wanna bet on it?" she smirked.

I looked at her strangely. "You have a serious gambling problem Maya."

"I know, I need help," she responded dryly. "So are you gonna do it or what?"

"Am I gonna do what?"

"Run for president and win."

"Why must we always get into situations like this?" I whined.

Maya smirked again. "Because the world wouldn't keep turning if we didn't."

* * *

My shoulders slumped over my desk as I rested my chin over my hand in deep thought.

_Was my entire existence only a repeat of what my father did in the past? Would I eventually find my "Topanga" someday? I wasn't completely sure of that, but soon I would find out..._

Maya had to keep reminding me that it was not "lady-like" to slouch. As if she knew anything about that. She had dressed me up in my business women suit I had worn last year for the pre-union when I went as a social worker so that I would look more "presentable" when she would nominate me as a candidate. The suit still fit me, I was glad. But I stuck out like a sore thumb in the entire class! I was way too tired to even care really.

Maya tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around to raise my eyebrow at her. "Yeah?"

"Put on your glasses," she demanded in a hushed tone.

I did what I was told, mostly because I was starting to become afraid of this new side of Maya. She really wanted to win this bet and get her free lunch for a week.

Mr. Turner walked in seconds before the bell rung and hurried quickly to the front. "This just in, elections for next year's eighth-grade class president will be held next week," he announced, putting the sheet of paper on his desk, turned back around and noticed my "sore-thumb" outward appearance and just had to ask about that. "Wow, new look Miss Matthews?"

Everybody turned to stare at me as I hitched my breath and answered, "U-Uh, yes?" That was all I could manage to think of until I remembered Maya was probably giving me one of her intense stares which meant that I should probably say more. "I thought I would go for a more... serious look. What do you think?" I asked, adjusting my glasses a bit to seem more "sophisticated," as Maya would put it.

"I like it, you look nice," Mr. Turner complimented before going back to what he was saying (in which case, my breathing returned at regular intervals). "Too many people whine and moan about the way things run around here. Well, this is a chance to change things by getting involved. But remember, this is a student election-"

"It's not a popularity contest," the whole class spoke in unison, rolling their eyes at each other as they filled in the rest of Mr. Turner's sentence.

Mr. Turner's surprised facial features showed that he was not expecting that. "I think we've been spending a little too much time together... the point is, your class president doesn't need to be a quarterback or a cheerleader. You'll be much better off with someone who's honest, loyal and decent."

Maya poked me on the back. "See? That's you Riles!" I gave her an uneasy smile, pretending like I agreed with her. _Why did I have to be honest, loyal and decent? I was a nobody to myself, and nobody knew me._

In the row beside us, I could hear Shawn telling Cory almost the exact same thing.

"Cory, that's you."

"What?" Cory answered back, a look of confusion in his face.

"You wanted to know who you were. You could be president," Shawn encouraged.

"All right, let's have some nominations," Mr. Turner stated. Maya raised her hand and quickly stood up.

"I nominate Riley Matthews because she's honest, loyal and decent," Maya announced proudly, sitting back down and snickering quietly at Shawn. "Sucker," she whispered under her breath, a look of confidence plastered all over her face that she would win the bet.

"Anybody else?" Mr. Turner asked. Nobody dared to put their hand up because even though I was not facing Maya, I knew she was giving everybody dirty looks that meant if they nominated anybody they were sure to die.

Shawn unexpectedly stood up and I was afraid where this was going. "The great state of Shawn nominates the people's choice Cory Matthews."

"WHAT?" Maya shouted angrily.

"No!" Cory fought, standing up from his seat.

"No! He's not gonna settle for second-rate leadership," Shawn lied.

"Matthews, you've been nominated. Do you accept?" Mr. Turner asked.

"No way!"

"No way would he turn down a chance to serve his fellow students," Shawn continued.

Mr. Turner stood there, arms folded across his chest as he tried to follow what was going on. "What are you, his handler?"

"Yes, I am."

"No, he's not!" Cory insisted. Look, I don't know anything about being president, okay? I wouldn't have a clue. I'm not somebody special."

"Then don't run," Maya muttered under her breath so that only I would hear her.

"I'm just an average guy..." Cory confessed, unconsciously walking up to the front of the classroom. He started realizing what he was saying and how everybody was now interested in the relatable things he was saying so he continued, "like all of you, the simple, hard-working students who struggle day after day with too much homework, unfair teachers, and an antiquated justice system that relies too much on detention. And if elected if I win and you guys vote for me I would say to each and every one of you, 'Hey... thanks!'"

I clasped a hand on my forehead.

_Great, now I'm supposed to run against my father... and win!_

* * *

After class, I waited until Maya would finish pacing around the halls in anger to ask her, "Wasn't what you thought it would be like, huh?" I smirked in amusement.

"How can you tell?" Maya asked sarcastically. "You don't seem nervous about this. You were this close to winning by default and Shawn had to ruin it by electing Cory. Isn't that cheating?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know. Why don't you ask him? He's right over there." I pointed to the two boys who were just coming out of our English classroom.

Maya stomped up to Shawn. "Hey you, you weren't supposed to nominate Cory! That wasn't part of the deal!"

Shawn stood upright, now confident enough to respond back to Maya and smirked. "The bet was that Riley has to run _against _someone and win. And since nobody else wanted to nominate anybody, I thought I would help you out. You are _welcome_."

Maya slowly got into Shawn's face as her eyes widened. "I can take you," she threatened.

Shawn's smirk grew wider. "Bring it on."

I pulled Maya back from Shawn. "Wait, what's happening? What are you doing?"

Maya gave me a reassuring look. "Don't worry Riles. I've got this." Then she turned back to the boys. "Why don't we make this bet a little more interesting? If we win, you boys have to wear pink dresses to school for an entire day _and _you have to buy us lunch for a week."

"Deal," Shawn said quickly without consulting with Cory.

"Shawn!" Cory gasped, whacking his best friend on the arm. "I don't wanna wear a dress to school!"

"We've got this Cor," Shawn assured his friend and then turned back to us and rubbed his hands together eagerly. "But if we win, let's see, you _still _have to go on a date with me, and you both have to go around the school and tell all the girls to date Cory and me."

I shook my head. "I don't wanna do that-"

"Deal," Maya said, shaking hands with Shawn. "And we have to be their campaign managers."

Shawn winked. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Shawn!" Cory shouted.

"Maya!" I exclaimed.

"What?" they both asked us in unison as if they had no idea what they were doing wrong.

"Can I talk to you alone Maya _dearest_?" I gritted my teeth, pulling Maya off to the side as Cory did the same with Shawn.

"What? What did I do?" she asked, oblivious to the real matter of the situation at hand.

"Why did you do that? I never agreed to telling all the girls to date my father and my uncle! That would make me like their... their... something I can't say because it's a bad word!" I huffed.

Maya put a hand on my shoulder. "You don't think I have a plan?"

I nervously smiled. "Of course I do. That's what scares me."

* * *

Three days later I spot Cory and Shawn in the hallway making a campaign video. I shyly stood in the background wearing another black business suit (Maya's orders) watching as they filmed Cory walking through the main hallway, greeting kids he had never spoken to. My guess was he must have convinced them somehow to pretend they were his friends.

Cory walked up to Topanga, who was sitting on the ledge of the with stairs, a big smile plastered on his face as Shawn followed him with the camera. "Why, hello there, young lady. And what do you think of me?"

Topanga smiled. "Hi, Cory. Tell me how you plan to make this school a more effective institution for the entire student body."

Cory's smile fell off his face. He started to fidget nervously with his fingers, not knowing how to answer her. "Well, that's a very- Shawn!" he whined.

"Cut!" Shawn called out, shutting his camera. "Topanga, could you please just read what I wrote out for you?"

Topanga scoffed, holding up the script Shawn had written for her. "Yeah, like I'm gonna say, 'Cory's cute and cuddly. That's what's important to me as a girl,'" she answered sarcastically.

"What?" Shawn asked.

Topanga's face started to turn red in anger. "This is not how I think. This is not how any girl thinks." _Whoohoo! Go Mom! _"And there's no 'm' in "cuddly."

Cory rolled his eyes as he tried to calm her down. "Topanga please, Shawn knows what he's doing."

Shawn shook his head. "No. No, I don't."

Cory turned to look at his best friend. "What?"

Shawn nodded. "Really. She's right. I should have been more sensitive to our female brothers," he stated, which seemed somewhat sincere. He took Topanga's script, ripped it in half and threw it away. "Tell you what. These these are gone. I want you to say whatever you think needs to be said as a human being who just happens to be female."

Topanga smiled gladly. "Apology accepted."

Shawn turned on his camera again and pointed it to Topanga. "Before you start, could you wet your lips?"

Topanga's jaw dropped. She got up and whacked Shawn on the arm. "You are so sleazy!" she said before walking away.

"What?" Shawn asked Cory, who only stood there and shrugged his shoulders.

Maya came out of nowhere and started clapping. "Bravo dimwits!" she snickered and encouraged, walking up to the two boys. "Way to get people to vote for you. Girls really go for sexist pigs like you two."

Shawn turned off the camera again and rolled his eyes at Maya. "Are you spying on us Hart? Because you're afraid we're gonna crush you?"

Maya smirked, folding her arms over her chest. "I'll admit, I was curious to see what you sleaze bags would come up with but now that I've just witnessed _that_ I know Riley and I don't have to worry about anything. We're gonna kick your butts!"

I walked up to the trio and dragged Maya off to the side once again.

"What. Are. You. Doing!" I exclaimed waving my arms around frantically. "This is supposed to be a friendly competition. Not a battle to the death!"

"You're right. I'm sorry," she quickly apologized.

"Apology accepted," I said folding my hands together. "Now what are we going to do about my campaign video."

"Do you still want a unicorn?"

I shook my head. "I'm not twelve anymore Maya. I'm... still twelve." I furrowed my eyebrows. "Do you ever notice how much we don't age?"

Maya shrugged in response. "Don't worry little plant," she said patting me on the head smirking mischievously. "All you have to do is look pretty. Leave the rest to me."

* * *

The following day, Maya brought me into the cafeteria without telling me for what purpose, but that it was a surprise. And a surprise it was.

Cory was standing on top of a chair shouting out his campaign promises as the kids surrounding him cheered him on.

"If teachers get paid for teaching, then students should get paid for learning," he declared.

"Yeah!" the kids encouraged, pumping their fists into the air.

"And this homework thing, what is that about? If they can't teach enough during school hours, why is that our problem?"

"Yeah!"

I could tell Cory was feeding off of the energy all the seventh graders were giving him, but why did he have to say all those ridiculous things? I loved homework! I loved school! Why was he promising all of these things he knew he wasn't going to be able to keep?

I tapped Maya on the shoulder. She turned around and grinned to her amusement. "Ain't this great? These kids are actually believing what he's saying. But we'll show them, right Riles?"

"Why this now?" I expressed. "You know I'm not good with crowds!"

"Being president is all about being in front of crowds. You have to show leadership Riley. Now go up there and be their leader," Maya urged, pushing me up on a chair. The entire student body turned to see me standing high up on a chair face to face with Cory. This would not end well.

My mouth felt dry. Everybody was staring at me, waiting for me to say something. To offer something better than my father was giving them. _What do I say?_

"What about, more homework and healthier foods served in the cafeteria?" I offered.

"Boo!" the students shouted.

Cory continued with his false promises, clearly winning the crowd over. "My fellow students, there are many challenging issues which currently face John Adams High, issues that seemingly have no solutions and I say there'd be fewer problems if we spent less time here. I mean, what's the deal with this five-day school week? I don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty much shot by Wednesday, so let's end the week there-"

A light-bulb suddenly turned on inside my head. If Maya and I, I mean, if _I _wanted to win the election, I had to beat my dad at this own game...

"If I'm president, Thursdays and Fridays are part of the weekend!" I blurted out, interrupting Cory in the process. The student body cheered.

Cory's eyebrows furrowed. "Hey, you can't do that Riley! That was what I was gonna say."

_Was was I finally starting to feel this sudden confidence inside of me?_

I folded my arms over my chest. "Too bad."

The kids oohed.

"Mondays are optional," Cory announced.

"Oh yeah?" I challenged. "Mondays are part of the weekend!"

The kids cheered.

"Tuesdays are part of the weekend!" Cory fired back.

I felt a tug on my shoulder. I turned to see Maya standing on a chair next to me.

"Riley, I think you're going a little too far. Maybe you should end it there," she suggested.

I pulled back. "NO SCHOOL AT ALL IF I'M ELECTED PRESIDENT!" I shouted as everybody started chanting my name.

Shawn got up on a chair and started shouting at Cory. "Why didn't you give the people what they want? How could you let a girl beat you?"

Maya tapped me on the shoulder again. "Riley, how could you do this? What's the point of being the 8th grade president if there's no school anymore?"

I felt satisfied with myself. For once, I had beaten someone without anybody's help. Without Maya's help. I turned to Maya and blurted out. "You know what I'm going to do now? You're fired Maya!"

Hearing me, Cory turned to Shawn and agreed. "Yeah, you're gone too. I can win this campaign by myself."

Everybody froze. Maya and Shawn looked shocked by what we just did.

"You're... firing me?" Maya asked hurtfully. Before I could respond, or even take it back for that matter, Maya jumped down the chair and walked out of the cafeteria, not before kicking the garbage can on the way out. Shawn soon followed after.

_Was it the heat of the moment that persuaded me to fire Maya? Was it the fact that all this week the only thing that Maya was doing was bossing me around, never consulting me for any of her decisions that would primarily affect me? If I fired Maya for good reasons, then why was I feeling so terrible?_

* * *

I knocked on the open door of room 218 half an hour before class started, knowing fully well that I never did this, but Mr. Turner was someone I had to talk to. It was Monday, election day is today and Maya avoided me all weekend by going out every day and coming back at eight-thirty knowing well enough I would be asleep by that time. I knew I had Mr. Feeny at home and he always gave the greatest advice, but I had told Mr. Feeny that I would handle this problem on my own. Mr. Turner was someone who I was afraid to talk to for some reason. I wanted to know what he would say in the situation I was in right then.

Mr. Turner was reading a book at his desk when he told me to come in. So I did. Hesitantly, I sat in my regular seat as if he were just about to teach me something.

"This is a surprise Miss Matthews. Is there anything I can help you with?"

I folded my hands together. "How do you know when you've gone too far? When you've pushed away the person you care about the most for. How do you get a second chance?"

Mr. Turner got off his chair and moved himself to the front of his desk to lean his weight over it. "Is this about the elections Miss Matthews?"

"It's about everything," I responded. "I made all these promises to everybody and I know I'm not going to be able to keep then. And because everybody was so happy with what I was offering to them, I did the most horrible thing a friend can do-"

"And you fired Maya," Mr. Turner spoke, filling in the rest.

"Oh, you heard about that sir?" I asked worriedly.

Mr. Turner shook his head. "I didn't just hear about it. I was there. Mr. Feeny as well."

I looked down at my folded hands in shame. "I guess I was just too worried about what people would think of me if I didn't give them what I want, like Cory was doing. I know it was wrong for me to fire Maya as my campaign manager after all the work she has put into my campaign, but she was being too bossy. She wouldn't let me dress the way I wanted to, wake up whenever I wanted, or even speak my mind."

"Did you really wanted to be president in the first place Miss Matthews?"

I shook my head. "I guess I really didn't."

"Then why did you?"

"Because Maya wanted me to. I was afraid Maya was going to make me send the wrong message to the students about what I was going to do as president, but I ended up doing that myself."

"Now do you think it's time to do the right thing?" Mr. Turner hinted.

I nodded. "I do."

* * *

Cory and I stood in front of all the seventh graders in the auditorium behind our podiums. I could tell Cory was sweating bullets and to be honest, so was I.

The auditorium was filled with banters and chattering from our class. Mr. Feeny stood on stage next to Cory and I to start off the debate.

"After this morning's debate, you will return to your homerooms and cast your votes for eighth-grade class. Now, the candidates; Cory A. Matthews and Riley Matthews."

I was always so used to having Maya cheer me on whenever I was on stage. Like she did during our school's _Romeo and Juliet_ production back when Lucas played Romeo and I played Juliet. Of course that would be twenty years into the future, but knowing that Maya was nowhere in sight among the full auditorium of kids I barely knew was what was making me feel empty inside.

Cory was the first to speak. "Look, I just want to say that before this election, I really didn't know who I was or what was important to me, but now, weeks later, after looking deeply into my soul, I still have no idea. So I ran for president to find out who I was, and what I think I'm finding out is that I'm not a good candidate or a good friend. So I withdraw from the race, and I think everyone here should vote for Riley. She's perfect for the job."

Everybody cheered as Cory tried to get off the stage before I stopped him. "No, Cory wait!" I shouted. He stopped and turned to look at me. _I didn't want to win this way. I didn't want to win at all. _"Before last week, I thought I was nobody special. I was always in the background of the class, even so much as afraid to raise my hand in Mr. Turner's English class." I nodded to Mr. Turner who was standing behind the curtains on my left side. It was then that I realized Maya and Shawn were there as well. I took a deep breath. "My name is... Riley Matthews. I made some promises to you all that I admit I can't keep. The truth is, I love school. I love doing homework and I love getting grades, so I think now that makes me honest, loyal and decent."

I walked to toward the back of the curtains and pulled out Maya and Shawn from behind there onto the stage and pushed them beside Cory.

"What are you doing?" they both asked me in unison.

"The right thing," I answered back in a whisper. I turned toward the audience. "But even so, I'm also a fellow student who is completely not fit to be your president and that's why I'm dropping out of the race. Nothing means more to me than my friendship with these guys."

I put my arm around my three friends before we walked off the stage together. Everybody returned back to their chattering, looking at each other in confusion.

Mr. Feeny ran up to the podium. "Okay folks, that's our show. Thank you for coming. We now return you to your regular Friday schedule-"

Topanga got off her seat and climbed up the stage. "Wait a minute! Our class needs a leader. And if we ignore all our problems, they're not just going to go away. There's graffiti all over the walls, and those old social studies books? When are they gonna replace those? And how about some better food in the cafeteria?" The entire auditorium stood up to cheer my mother on. "And if elected, I will be a voice for the entire student body!"

"She's got my vote," Cory chimed to us.

"You know, she would make a great president. She's honest, loyal and decent." I observed. My eyes met with Maya's. "Can you forgive me?"

Maya put her hands to her sides. "How can I not? Listen, I'm sorry for dressing you up and controlling you all the time. I shouldn't have made the bet in the first place without asking you about it."

"You mean the bet that we won?" Shawn asked, pointing to Cory and himself.

Maya scoffed. "What do you mean you guys won the bet? We got fired, remembered? Why don't we forget this whole thing and you guys can treat us girls to burgers at Chubbies after school?"

"Will it still be considered a date?" Shawn asked hopefully.

"Shawn," Cory warned his friend.

Maya shrugged. "Call it what you will. Yeah?"

"Yeah," Shawn agreed.

"Yeah," Maya challenged.

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

_Gosh this was going to be a long day..._

* * *

**Author's Note: Happy Late Father's Day guys! I went out to dinner with my family last night and when I got home I was way too tired to post anything. Today I had other stuff to do, but it's here now. I've been getting a lot of PMs, tweets, reviews asking me when I would update and I'm sorry I wasn't able to get to them. I'm planning on the next chapter coming out sometime this week, but I will be busy on most days so we'll see. :) For those of you who don't know, the official Seven Years in the Nineties trailer is now up on YouTube. I uploaded it on May 18th. You can search it up or you can also find it on my profile, it is linked above the schedule. Like, subscribe, comment and I'll really appreciate that! The next trailer (season 1 trailer) comes out soon. I'm planning to release it THIS Thursday the 25th simply because it's a very important day for me that I always like to remember. Over the hiatus I've been thinking of new plot-lines for stories that I'm planning on making. One of them includes another Girl Meets World fanfic. I am brainstorming for that but I can tell you the title will be: _Homeless to Julliard_. It will be centered around a homeless Maya. And since I've been watching a lot of Roseanne lately, I've also come up with a story-line for that as well for a fanfic I want to write. I came up with the title as I was falling asleep yesterday. It will be called: _Barbie Dolls and Basketcases. _So if you guys like any of those ideas, please leave me a review telling me what you think about them. :)**

**Reminders: Don't forgot to read the Q&amp;A Tumblr Blog of last chapter which will be posted very soon. Go check out the Seven Years in the Nineties trailer on YouTube. The NEW DEADLINE for the contest is now July 5th so get your reviews in before then! Any new people who still want to enter you still can. For the latest updates on any of my stories, you can follow me on my Twitter (info on profile). Thanks guys, see you next time! :D**

**Quote of the week:**

"I'm a teletubby." -**Eric Matthews**

**-Mimi1239**


	35. Together Forever

**Hey guys! I know how SUPER late I am in submitting my chapters but a lot of stuff has been going on these past few days, but I'm giving you guys an extra long chapter for compensation. I have a few announcements. First of all, kayla.m-r, the awesome author of Please Don't Leave Me AND Keep Your Eyes Open has asked me to produce a trailer for Please Don't Leave Me last week so I have been working my butt off trying to get that through to her. :) Stay Gold- Pebblemist, another awesome writer has also asked me to do the same but with her story Unexpected Ties. Secondly, I played at my sister's grad last week. BEAUTIFUL hotel. I am so proud of my sis for finally graduating. I will be next. :) **

**I just started my online accounting course last week, and I had a migraine after doing my first assignment. It is a lot harder than I imagined it to be! Since I am an admin on the Girl Meets World Wiki now, I have decided to make a Fourth of July Fanfiction contest! Even I have decided to participate in it. Info for all of this is on the Girl Meets World Wiki homepage. The story that I entered is called _Diamonds in the Dark_, which you can find is also available on Fanfiction. If you guys could vote for me on the mainpage of the show's wiki until July 9, that would be awesome of you! ****I have been very occupied with that so far. **

**The last thing that I want to talk about is something that I have been going through this past week that has stressed me out emotionally and spiritually. I have been betrayed, lied to, and almost fooled by a user on the GMW Wiki that I thought was a good online friend that I have known for almost a year. Trying to find enough proof that this person is a troll has been a very difficult task, one that took me months to finally find. The moral of this story is don't trust everybody you find online. I know better now. After discovering what this person is capable of, I think I can finally breathe after blocking this person for a long period of time. I also hope that my emotional rollercoaster is now over (well, one can only hope).**

**I know I just gave you guys like an essay, but I hope you now understand what I have been going through. I have settled myself down to writing this chapter. I hope you like it. :)**

**Chapter talk: I re-watched _Breaking up is Really, Really Hard to Do _and I have decided that for this chapter I would change it up a bit. That means it won't be like the episode although Wendy will still be in this. The Great Gatsby (I can now finally use something that I learned in school to help me write lol). Three couples. Marriage. One sleepover. What could go wrong? You'll find out! I think you guys are gonna like this chapter very much. ;P P.S- That diary that Maya got is going to be used in this chapter. **

**I would like to give a shout-out to those of you who reviewed my previous chapter: PinkFreak101, kayla.m-r, Ali6132, Twinkletoes626, AliciaMae26, Donut in the sky, Jessie, stephanie, Dollface129, emma, Guest, joanneblogueuse, Guest, Cyclone57, Guest, TheBrittanaLover, alyssaunicorn, jenna323.m, Guest, Penelope, mrs peeta mellark 2.0, CabbieLoverSAC22, Hubbabubba123, and Guest.**

**Let's get going! ;P**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

_Well, to my knowledge, Cory would get married. Shawn wouldn't. I had no idea about Wendy and Ricky though. _

Maya's Point of View

_**Thursday, February 2nd, 1995, Philadelphia **_

_**Past time, 4:10 P.M**_

I could not figure out what made "couples" so popular. The four of us were sitting in our usual hang-out spot at Chubbies after school when Stephanie and Todd from our English class gave each one of us an invite to their dinner party. Couples only. No surprise there.

"That's discrimination!" Cory exclaimed after reading his invitation. "It leaves out a lot of people who have committed themselves to the single life. People like you and me," Cory stated, referring to himself and Shawn. I looked up from my invitation to see Shawn making out with some random girl. I rolled my eyes in annoyance. _Typical._

Shawn pulled away from the girl he was sucking faces with. "Huh?" he asked, having no clue at all as to what Cory had said because he was too busy spit-swapping with the brunette bimbo. Riley looked at me with wide eyes.

When Cory only glared at his best friend, Shawn resumed to his make-out session. "People like me," Cory spoke under his breath.

When the irritating couple finally pulled away from each other from lack of air, the girl left without saying a word, but not before giving me a sly smirk like she had won some game.

Shawn sighed happily. "Remember in health class, that section on the movement of blood? I understand it now."

Riley blushed in embarrassment while I only did the opposite as usual. I scoffed. "Oh please, don't make me barf Hunter."

"You know you're just _dying _to be my next girlfriend Maya," Shawn teased.

"Only in my worst nightmare!" I argued back.

"GUYS!" Cory shouted, stopping our bickering. "You sound like an old married couple. Could we get back to what's really important here? I don't have a date to this party and I really wanna go."

"I thought you said it was a discrimination against singles?" I asked.

Cory shrugged. "Yeah, but it doesn't mean I don't wanna go. What should I do?"

"Why don't you just ask Topanga to go with you? I'm sure she would like that," Riley suggested. _Yeah, real subtle little plant._

Cory gave Riley an odd look, and I knew why. "Riley, Topanga's on vacation with her parents and she doesn't come back in like two weeks. The party is tonight."

"Oh, force of habit I guess," Riley answered sheepishly.

Shawn pointed to a pair of blonde girls sitting at a booth across from us. One of those blonde girls was Wendy. "Why don't you ask Wendy to go with you? You've gone out with her before."

"Ask Wendy? My ex-girlfriend Wendy, to go with me to a couple's party?" Cory asked. "What if she says no?"

"What if she says yes?" Shawn insisted. He rested his hands on Cory's shoulders. "Look Cor, be like me and don't think-"

I snickered. "Yeah I'd like to see how that would turn out."

Riley elbowed me.

Shawn glared back teasingly. "I wasn't finished. Be like me, don't think, just do. If Wendy says no then that's her loss."

"You're right!" Cory said, boasting up his own confidence. "If Wendy doesn't want to go out with me anymore then that's her loss!"

Shawn patted Cory on the back proudly. "That's right! Don't look now, but Wendy's coming over here."

"WHAT?" Cory froze, afraid to turn around but the three of us did.

Indeed, Wendy's friend had left Chubbies and for some strange reason she was coming over to talk to Cory. Riley and I exchanged fearful looks.

Wendy stood behind Cory and tapped him on the shoulder. Cory kept his eyes shut tightly as she called, "Cory? Can I speak with you alone?"

Shawn turned Cory around to face his ex. Cory slowly opened his eyes to see the petite girl in front of him. He smiled quirky. "Hey Wendy! Didn't know you came here."

Wendy smiled sweetly and furrowed her eyebrow. "What are you talking about? This is where we came for our first date."

Cory's nervous smile grew wider. "Oh right, I-I almost forgot about that... Not that I meant that I didn't like o-our first date! I enjoyed our first date v-very much."

Wendy nodded her head. "It's okay Cory. We don't have to pretend like this isn't awkward enough. After all, we did have a pretty serious relationship before... you know... the breakup. Do you mind if we could we talk alone?"

"N-Not at all," Cory stuttered once more before Wendy led him into the pool table area. I was amazed just at how Wendy managed to turn a perfectly-normal Cory into a nervous-wreck. My brain began to signal my legs to follow close behind them until I felt a hand grab my forearm and pull me back.

"Maya, where do you think you're going?" Riley asked, slightly gritting her teeth.

I looked over behind Riley to see Shawn was still sitting there watching us attentively. "Shawn?" I faked sweetly.

Shawn's hopeful eyes widened. "Did you just call me by my first name?" _I knew I was going to regret doing that._

My fake sweet smile dropped. "Yeah, now beat it."

Shawn left to go flirt with a couple of sophomore girls from our school. _How sick._

Riley sat back down in her seat and I followed suit.

"Maya, don't you think it's a little rude to go spying on people? Especially if one of those people is my dad."

"I wasn't spying!" I tried to defend myself.

"I guess that answers my question," Riley said sarcastically.

I sighed. "Riley, aren't you just a little worried about this? What if you're dad and Wendy get together again? What if they got married? Where would that leave you and Auggie? You would disappear out of existence, never to be seen or heard of ever- oh my gosh I'm turning into you!" I exclaimed, hitting myself in the forehead with my hand. I rested my head down on the table and put my arms over my head.

"There, there," Riley cooed, slowly stroking my head, smiling brightly the way she always did. "Everything you're going through is very natural in this stage of your life Maya."

I lifted up my head off the table to give her an odd stare. _She's really enjoying this right now._

* * *

The next day at school everybody was already talking about the patched up couple Cory and Wendy. Since Riley and I decided to have one of our famous girls' night-in instead of going to the stupid discriminatory couples-only dinner party, we had to get our sources from Shawn. He told us Cory and Wendy were the center of attention during the whole party! I was surprised they hadn't blasted the news of them getting back together over the P.A system during the morning announcements.

Something really surprising happened in homeroom today. As usual, Turner was talking to us about the many books we had to read in class. _How did we manage to have so much time to read all these novels in one year anyway? _

"Daisy Buchanan is a woman who is conflicted with herself. She's got Tom Buchanan, the extravagant, rich, jealous cheating husband who finds out about Daisy and Gatsby's romance that occurred prior to their marriage, but he still seems to love Daisy and would do anything in order for her to stay with him. Then she's got Jay Gatsby, her past romance from five years ago. Gatsby decides to become wealthy and throws all these luxurious parties, hoping to win back Daisy's love and affection. Any thoughts on this?" Turner asked the class.

I laid my head on my desk, resting my eyes as I tried to get some sleep. The last thing I needed to be taught in an English classroom was how to choose the right husband for me simply by just reading about it in some old book.

"Maya, why don't you take a shot at this?" Turner's voice traveled into my brain. I rolled my eyes secretly as I tried to process what to say.

I lifted my head up to find everybody staring back at me. "I'd rather not," I wittily responded, putting my head back down.

I could see Wendy eagerly waiting with her hand up to respond to Turner's question.

"Yes Miss Jansen," Turner nodded to Wendy. _And here we go._

"I think what Gatsby did for Daisy was a tremendous romantic gesture," Wendy answered with what I could picture, a dreamy smile on her face. "I know that if any boy would do something as romantic as that for me I'd love him forever. It's such a shame Daisy stayed with Tom."

I re-lifted my head back up to comment on Wendy's response. "She stayed with Tom because Gatsby got shot on the back, fell into a pool and died," I blurted out. Everybody turned their heads back at me and gasped. "Yeah, I read the book," I admitted loutishly.

"You got anything else to say Maya before I give you detention?" Turner joked.

"Mr. Turner, why do we have to learn about marriage and stuff if we're only in the seventh grade?" I asked.

"Because marriage is an important step in any person's life," he responded back.

"Have you've ever been married?" I smirked, knowing fully well that he hadn't.

Turner shifted awkwardly. "Well... um, that isn't the point. The point is that kids these ages must learn about what a healthy marriage is. Raise your hand if you agree with what I just said." I looked around the room only to find that only Riley and Wendy had their hands raised. Turner nodded to himself. "Alright, uh Matthews," he said, pointing to Cory. "Why don't you agree with my statement?"

Cory shrugged his shoulders. "Because it's a waste of time."

Shawn jumped into the conversation. "Yeah, not everybody in this class is gonna get hitched."

Turner nodded again. "Alright, good point. But why is it important regardless?"

Wendy raised up her hand. "Because it's essential for any kind of relationship you do have in the future," she hinted, giving Cory a wink.

I raised up my hand this time. "Sir, I don't want to be disrespectful or anything, but this isn't marriage 101. If it were, I would be skipping this class every day."

The class chuckled. Riley turned around to give me a warning look.

Turner scratched his chin in a curious manner, as if he was just getting an idea. "You're right Maya. It isn't. But it very well could be."

I was scared by that response. "What does that mean?" Before Turner could answer, a knock on the door that made everybody turn around to see who had interrupted the discussion. Mr. Matthews stood at the door, holding a white slip of paper and looking very awkward in his position.

"Dad?" Cory said horrified.

Cory's dad cleared his throat. "Hi son. Um, Johnathan, do you where I could find George's office?"

"First time here?" Turner asked, smirking a little.

Mr. Matthews nodded his head in embarrassment, a crimson shade beginning to appear on his face. "Well it's just that my wife usually comes down here whenever any of my sons get into any trouble but she left early for work to go to a meeting and left me this note instructing me where to go and I can't understand her writing..." he trailed off.

"Am I in trouble dad?" Cory asked worriedly. Just as embarrassed that his father was in his classroom asking where the principal's office was just as Mr. Matthews was being in his son's classroom.

"No son, this time it's your brother," Mr. Matthews responded, getting a little amusement out of the class. Mr. Matthews brought his attention back to Turner. "You know how it probably is right? Your wife leaves you stuff to do around the house and you can't even understand her writing," he chuckled, trying to lighten up the awkward atmosphere.

Turner's smirk fell off his face. Now it was his face that was turning red as a tomato. "Uh, actually I'm not married Alan. George's office is right down the hall, to your left. You can't miss it."

"Thanks," Mr. Matthews said gratefully, about to leave before Turner stopped him.

"Oh, Alan. I was just talking to these kids about healthy marital relationships and almost all of them don't think it's necessary to learn about this. What is your input on this?"

Mr. Matthews looked like he was starting to sweat. "Uh, Johnathan I'm kind of late for this meeting-"

"This will just take a second Alan," Turner insisted.

Mr. Matthews sighed. "Alright, uh marriage is a celebration between two equal people that love and respect each other. Can I leave now?"

Turner nodded. "But wait, one more thing. I'm just about to give my students a home project and I was wondering if you could be the first parent to help us with this?"

"If I say yes, would you let me go?" Mr. Matthews asked urgently.

"Could you please let him go?" asked Cory pleadingly and desperately to Turner, not wanting his dad to be there any longer.

Turner smirked. "Yes."

"Then yes," Mr. Matthew said, about to leave again until Turner stopped him yet another time.

"Oh Alan, don't you want to know what you just agreed to?"

Mr. Matthews sighed, faking a smile. "I'd rather not," he responded with fake enthusiasm.

"Well, I better tell you anyway," Turner said. "I'm going to divide the class up into marriage couples and there will be three couples per house that will be spending a whole Saturday overnight under the watch and care of a responsible, well-trusted marital couple. Since you just agreed to this, I'm going to let your son pick the couples that will spend the weekend at your house."

Cory sank low in his chair, trying to dodge the fearful stares everybody was giving him, especially from Wendy.

"Uh, what do I know? I'm just a very very confused kid," Cory responded.

"Would you like me to make the couples Matthews?" Turner asked.

Cory turned to see Wendy giving him a very hurtful look. "No, I'll do it. Uh, Wendy and me," he started off, making Wendy's bright smile return. He searched around the room for potential targets. His eyes landed on Riley and Ricky. "Riley and Ricky," he announced, making the couple turn around to give him shock looks. I put my head down and groaned, knowing fully well that Cory wouldn't include his very best friend in this. "...and Maya and Shawn."

* * *

I really couldn't blame Cory for picking Shawn and I as his last couple. He and Shawn were inseparable! And the four of us were now really close friends. Did that mean that I wasn't going to get back at him for doing that to me? Ha, I didn't even need to answer my own question.

Everybody got their parents to sign permission forms that allowed their kids to stay at another family house for the weekend. Even Mr. Feeny was okay with this! After a bit of hesitation of course, but nevertheless, he probably wanted the whole house to himself since he hasn't gotten a break since Riley and I first moved in.

The week had gone by faster than I wanted it to go. Riley and I even got "the talk" from Mr. Feeny, which was the most awkward experience that I had ever gone through in my entire life. Mr. Feeny claimed that he thought we were 'mature enough' to hear the speech. Because the speech he gave us sounded like something he had read from a health care textbook, (and then again, when has anything Mr. Feeny said not sounded like it came out of a book?) I found the information interesting, but not really useful since there was no way I would be doing anything at Cory's house that had anything to do with "the talk".

Carrying a rolled-up sleeping bag which I clutched tightly on my side at four in the afternoon on a Saturday, I knocked on the Matthews' back kitchen door. Riley gave me one of her 'this is it' looks.

"Are you ready for this?"

"Ready as I'll ever be pumpkin," I responded straightforward.

"I'm actually kind of excited for this," Riley gushed. "I know I shouldn't be, but I haven't talked to Ricky since the Christmas dance. Do you think he'll talk to me now?"

"He has to Riles, he's your husband."

Before Riley could respond back, the door swung open to reveal little Morgan.

"Hi Riley and Maya! Do you wanna come see my doll collection?" Riley's future aunt asked excitedly. I had to admit, the kid was cute.

Riley smiled brightly. "Okay sure!" she said, taking a hold of Morgan's small hand as they ran up the stairs. Riley backtracked to see that I was still standing outside the door. "Maya, aren't you coming?" she frowned.

I shrugged, waving her off. "Nah, I'll catch up with you later. I'm going check out to see who else is here." I made my way into the living room to see Mrs. Matthews sitting on a couch chair sipping hot chocolate with Wendy and Ricky. I waved awkwardly. "Hi guys."

Wendy and Ricky gave me a wave back while Mrs. Matthew stood up with her mug. "Hello Maya, how have you been? Would you like me to make you some hot chocolate honey?" she asked sweetly.

I refused politely. "It's alright Mrs. Matthews, I don't want to interrupt your conversation."

Mrs. Mathews chuckled delightfully. "Nonsense! Have a seat and I'll be right back," she said rubbing my shoulder with motherly affection and then made her way into the kitchen. _Well, now I know where the future Matthews family get their hospitality from._

Instead of sitting down like Mrs. Matthews had requested for me to do, I remained standing. I dug my thumbs inside my back pockets and rocked my feet back and forth uncomfortably. "So..."

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you get in here Maya?" Wendy wondered with her straight-back proper posture and her legs crossed in a lady-like manner. It kind of annoyed me how 'perfect' Wendy was. "I thought Mom said nobody else had gotten here except for us?"

"Mom?" I questioned.

"That's what I'm calling her now since Cory and I are married," Wendy explained, grinning sweetly.

"Oh, right..." _Creepy. _"I just came through the back kitchen door. Riley's here as well, she's just upstairs playing with Morgan."

"Well, why didn't you come in through the front door?" Wendy insisted.

I was about to explain before Ricky spoke up. "Didn't you know Riley and Maya live with Mr. Feeny?"

Wendy gasped. "Is that so? I had no idea! Are you related?"

It made me feel a little uneasy having to explain our situation to one of the founding members of the 'gossip girls' but I tried to nevertheless, that is, until Ricky interrupted me.

"Something like that. So Wendy, how many siblings do you have?" Ricky asked, completely changing the conversation. I furrowed my eyebrows a bit in confusion thinking that was rude of him to do that until I realized that he just saved me from having to tell Wendy that Riley and I were orphans.

"I'm one of three. What about yourself?" Wendy asked Ricky.

"Um," I interrupted, thinking I might as well return Ricky the favor and avoid bringing up the discussion of us being orphans. "Feeny's great having around up until he starts asking me about my homework."

Wendy turned to me. "Oh, so this means you see Cory all the time?"

I nodded my head awkwardly. "Yeah and speaking of Cory, where is he?"

As if on cue, Mrs. Matthews came into the living room holding my cup of hot chocolate. She handed it to me as I took a seat right next to Ricky on the couch. "He went to play basketball with Shawn. He said he would be back in time for this assignment twenty minutes ago," Mrs. Matthews spoke, checking her watch.

Cory and Shawn burst through the front door very sweaty and out of breath as they continued to dribble the basketball around. For about two seconds it was as if they didn't even notice us as they continued to horse around. Cory was the first one to stop when he realized we were all watching them.

"Oh hey guys," Cory said, scratching the back of his head.

"What's up?" Shawn added.

"Nothing, just waiting for you two," I said amusingly.

"Cory, you said you would be here twenty minutes ago," Mrs. Matthews said standing up with her hands on her hips.

"I know, I know, we're really sorry Mom we lost track of time," Cory apologized quickly.

Wendy stood up, slightly gasping. "Cory, you're all sweaty and dirty! But don't worry, I'm going to go upstairs and prepare your bath, okay?" she cooed in a very motherly tone, kissing Cory on the cheek before skipping upstairs. _And just when I thought that there was nothing else weirder she could possibly do, she stunned me with that one._

Shawn walked toward me and knelt down on the floor next to me on the couch. "I wouldn't mind if you prepared my bath for me."

"And why would I do that?" I asked in a boring tone.

"Because you're, um, my wife now?"

I smirked. "Nice try."

Riley came running downstairs holding Morgan's hand very excitedly. "Maya, look at this!" she exclaimed happily, and being her silly, childish self, it didn't faze me that she now had pink hair. But I guess she hadn't realized Ricky was there because once she saw him, her hands flew directly to her head and her face turned redder than a tomato.

Mrs. Matthews chuckled. "It looks really nice Riley. It isn't permanent, right Morgan?" she asked a little worriedly.

Morgan shrugged. "No mommy. I'm not dumb," she said before running up back upstairs.

Riley touched her hair insecurely, about to follow Morgan until Ricky spoke up. "It's a nice color on you Riley. Any color would look nice on you," he complimented. Hmm, Ricky complimenting Riley on her hair when it looked like a unicorn had vomited on her head. Now that's true love.

Cory went up to touch a strand of Riley's hair in a brotherly gesture. "You must really be into this marriage thing Ricky." Riley glared at Cory. That would probably be how things would be around here if they were actually brother and sister.

* * *

After Mr. Matthews came home with Eric and Riley finally got all the pink dye out of her hair, we all had dinner. Since we all couldn't fit around the dinner table, Mr. Matthews set an extra table for us 'couples' to eat our dinner. Wendy sat next to Cory, Cory sat next to Shawn, Shawn sat next to me, I sat next to Riley, Riley sat next to Ricky, and Ricky sat next to Wendy.

Everybody ate in silence. It was really uncomfortable having to eat with couples as a 'pretend married girl'. I never thought I would say this, but I was glad when Wendy spoke up. "Cory, what would you like to talk about?"

Cory pondered hard on that question. "I dunno, do you know anything about the Phillies?"

Wendy shook her head. "No." Everything went quiet once again.

"And that's the end of that conversation," I mumbled sarcastically under my breath. I felt a slight kick under the table. I knew it was Riley warning me to keep myself in check or something bad was going to happen. I decided to ignore her for a change. "I still don't understand why we have to do all this. It's not like everybody here is gonna get married."

Well, to my knowledge, Cory would get married. Shawn wouldn't. I had no idea about Wendy and Ricky though.

"Having a family is something we've always dreamed of doing, isn't that right honey?" Wendy asked Cory, grabbing a hold of his hand.

Cory looked at us and quickly pulled his hand away. "Huh?" he asked puzzled. "But I never said that."

Wendy looked hurt. "I thought you wanted what I wanted sweetie, which is to have three kids."

"Why three?" Cory asked, starting to get a little freaked out.

"Well, you're one of three and so am I, so I just thought it would make sense if we kept up the tradition. Doesn't that sound wonderful?" she asked, with a spark of hopefulness and plead in her eyes.

Cory looked at each one of us, as if he had just realized something that was right in front of him the whole time, before he stood up and said, "Wendy, do you think we could talk about this outside?"

Wendy looked at the floor in shame and got up as well. "Anything for you Cory," she said, not letting herself give eye contact to any of us as they walked out the backdoor. She had realized the exact same thing Cory had and I had a feeling right then that things were not going to end well. My theory was confirmed when Wendy gave Cory a tearful kiss on the cheek and walked away. After that day, Wendy never step foot in this house again.

* * *

_Dear... Diary?_

I wrote down on the leather bound notebook which I now called my diary. The one Riles had given me for my birthday. I know, how cheesy was it to bring a diary over to a sleepover? But I felt like I had to. I felt the need to start documenting everything going on in my life. I just didn't know how to start. I was thankfully interrupted when Riley came over and sat next to me on my sleeping bag on the living room floor while the boys were upstairs playing video games.

She smiled. "Hey. Is that the diary I gave you?"

"You could say that," I said, smiling back. "Do you think Cory will be okay?"

Riley grinned widely. "He will someday be my dad. He'll be our teacher. He will marry my mom, so... of course he will be okay."

"What about Wendy?"

"Wendy will be happy too. I just know she will be."

I lightly patted my best friend on the back. "And you still manage to have hope for everybody," I concluded. Riley got up off my sleeping bag to go to the kitchen. I stopped her when I remembered to tell her something. "Hey Riles?"

"Yeah Maya?"

"Ricky's a great guy. I'm sorry that I broke you guys up. I shouldn't have done it. If you guys ever think about dating again, I will support you all the way."

Riley softly smiled. "You really mean that?"

"I do."

"So that means if you started dating Uncle Shawn I would have to be okay with that too?"

I smirked. "It was just one kiss."

"Two kisses."

"The second one caught me off guard!"

We both knew we were only just teasing each other so there was really nothing to worry about. Our friendship was as strong as ever.

"Time for bed!" I could hear Mrs. Matthews shout from upstairs to the boys playing video games. After we all settled in our sleeping bags with the lights turned off, I could feel someone breathing down the nape of my neck. In darkness I couldn't see who it was, but I knew it was not Riley.

"Shawn?" I whispered once everybody was asleep.

"Yeah?" I heard his response right next to me so I knew it was him.

"Any part of you that touches me, you're not getting back."

* * *

_To whom it concerns,_

_I couldn't sleep, so at first I decided it would be a good idea to sneak onto the patio and draw pictures of the moon and the stars, that was, until it started pouring rain which forced me to go back inside and have nothing to do while everybody else is fast asleep. Currently, I am sitting on the kitchen table as I write this. I scratched out "Dear Diary" because of how cheesy and lame I thought it sounded. It's way overused in my opinion._

_Anyway, Cory and Wendy finally called it quits today. Well, they also faked-divorced as well. They finally realized they were not right for each other. Cory likes to play video games and talk about the Phillies while all Wendy wanted to do was talk about their 'future' together and about what they were going to name their kids! I hope I never marry anybody who would be too preoccupied with our future._

_Did I just write that down?_

_It's not like I can change it anyway, I don't have an eraser._

_Since Riley and Ricky were sleeping right next to each other where the moon shone through the window, I spotted their hands intertwined with each other. Now I just had to figure out if it was by accident or they had really fallen asleep in that position. In spite of this, I still find it very cute._

_I can't believe I'm saying this but Turner was right. The marriage project helped me see that it was important for us kids to learn about marriage before we're even ready for it. If we don't learn about it now, we won't know what to expect when it really does happen. That's why it's important for our lives Mr. Turner. Because if we learn about it now, we can prevent so many divorces from happening, like the fake one that Cory and Wendy had to go through today. Not everybody stays together forever, but they could still be friends in the end._

_Hey, that rhymed, didn't it?_

_I didn't let go of the fact that Cory paired me up with Shawn. The second Cory hit the sack, I did the classic 'feather and whip cream' prank, but I also got one of Morgan's barbie dolls that was lying around on the floor and put Cory's arm around it. Then I took a picture. Not that I would ever show it to just anybody, but I thought I would have it just in case I needed a laugh, or for blackmail. _

_Nobody messes with Maya Hart Clutterbucket. _

* * *

**Author's Note: If any of you guys is a big fan of the 80s-90s like I am, you would have noticed that the quote "Any part of you that touches me, you're not getting back" actually comes from one of my favourite shows that I'm watching right now which is called Roseanne. It's one of my favourite Darlene lines. Another thing that I added in here was the "To whom it concerns" introduction which is also a reference to Darlene and the first poem she ever wrote which made her decide to become a writer. Just thought you guys would enjoy that for any of you who enjoyed that show as well. :)**

**I just wanted to bring up something that CabbieLoverSAC22 left me in a review from last chapter. My situation of being overwhelmed with school applies to all of you. Something I would never do is abandon this story, especially after everything that you guys have done for me. I may have stuff going on outside of Fanfiction, but just know that I will always find my way back into this story. It's been a part of me for almost an entire year now and I will try not to let you guys down. :) Thank you. :)**

**Now, about this contest deal. The winner will be announced on my next chapter so watch out for that! :D**

**I think there's something that's going wrong with the links that I post on my profile but until I get that fixed there won't be any Tumblr posts. The only links that seem to work are for YouTube. On a happier note, the season 1 trailer for this story is posted on YouTube so you guys can check that out! As I said before, you can either search for the story's title on YouTube, or you can find the link on my profile. Thanks guys, see you next time! :D**

**-Mimi1239**


	36. Tying the Knot

**(PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE! Next week will be the anniversary since I started this story. I asked you guys on my Twitter if you would like me to hold a Google Hangout sometime next week and I got very positive responses. Are you guys up for it? The info for that will be on my Twitter, but I will also make an announcement about that here. :) Basically I will be talking about the story as well as Girl Meets World and you will, for the first time EVER, get to see what I look like. I'm still deciding if it's a pro or con lol. So when you're reviewing for this chapter, please leave me questions and I will be answering them in my Google Hangout and will be giving you a shout-out. You can ask about anything too, my story or something you've been wanting to know about me, and I'll be as honest as possible. :) The exact time and date for it is still unknown but I will most likely make an announcement of it here soon. Are you excited?)**

**Hey guys! Happy to see me? I want to give everybody a big thanks for getting me to 1k reviews and for the 200 followers of my story! I can't imagine how many followers I would get if all of you had accounts! :) Thank you so much for getting me to 50+ followers on Twitter. You can follow me at MimiFanFic1239 and tweet me anytime if you have suggestions for future chapters or if you simply want to say hi! I appreciate everything. :) I also want you guys to check out the first ever FANMADE trailer for my story. Just search up the story's title on YouTube and you'll be sure to find it. :)**

**This would have came out last week but Fanfiction was down so I couldn't edit or update and when it came back on I didn't have time to write anymore because I went to Fan Expo Canada for 4 days to celebrate my sister's birthday. You'll see on my Twitter what I mean lol. It was my first time going to something like this and actually meeting celebrities and it was fun! Now I am back in school and I am a high school senior! Terrifying, right?**

**I decided to take a break from writing and focus on other things such as my music, video editing and being a helpful admin on the wiki as much as possible. But I am here now, and nothing has changed so let's get started! :)**

**Before I start with the chapter talk, I just wanted to give a shout-out to my friend, PaigeyPenguin's first story on GMW Fanfiction called 'New World'. If you guys like GMW time-travelling which you obviously do, I highly recommend checking out this story and leaving her a review! Her story is about what would happen if only Maya time-traveled and became a Matthews. Check it out, you won't regret it! :)**

**Chapter talk: So I've been waiting to write this chapter for a very very long long time, typically because of what happens during the first scene lol (it has a lot to do with the title of the chapter). This chapter will be based on two episodes from BMW, 'Danger Boy' and 'On the Air'. Writing one chapter based on one episode is hard enough, let alone writing a chapter based on two! But I thought 'On the Air' was a really funny episode so I wanted to add it in the story as well. :) Now that you know this, it doesn't mean that both episodes will come one after the other. It will be combined to form one episode. You'll see. ;) So right now think about what's the difference between being courageously dangerous and dangerously courageous? How far do you have to go to be both? Now enjoy! **

**I'd like to give a shout-out to those who reviewed my previous chapter: joyfish98, Guest, liltheanon, Hoalover716, Guest, Trinity Anye, Guest, CrazyBabez, Guest, Guest, Guest, DisneyLover16, Giggles789, Geekiexx, PaigeyPenguin, Emma, GMWfan23, AliciaMae26, Ali6132, Donut in the sky, stephanie, Stay Gold -Pebblemist, Mari101, NickelbackFan183, LoveShipper, Angel1D98, Glee Clue Rock 1251, and CabbieLoverSAC22. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

_Mr. Feeny answered our question angrily. It was the most angry I'd ever seen him. And because I was part of the cause that made him feel that way, it made me want to crawl under a rock and die._

Riley's Point of View

_**Saturday, February 18th, 1995, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 5:30 P.M**_

After the sleepover we had at Cory's house, Ricky and I got back together. And we managed to get an 'A' on our marriage project! Right on time for Valentine's Day might I add. We didn't do anything romantic or go anywhere fancy like other couples our age did. We both felt we would rather spend the day with our friends than go on a date alone because we felt we weren't ready to do that yet.

On a Saturday evening, it wasn't surprising that us four friends would find ourselves in our usual hangout at Chubbies, sitting at our usual booth while eating hot fudge sundaes. The hot fudge sundaes part wasn't something we usually did, but when life gave you lemons, you just can't help but wonder why lemons? Why can't it be chocolate? After giving up from trying to find the solution to the question, you go out with your friends to get sundaes.

I forgot the reason why we were all laughing so hard, but I only started paying attention when I noticed Shawn eyeing the cherry on top of his sundae in a mischievous manner. By then I already knew that things would not end well.

"Hey, guys I was thinking-" Shawn began before he was interrupted by Maya's mocking gasp.

"Congratulations Shawn! I didn't know that was possible coming from you!" she teased. Shawn glared at her playfully and chose to not fire back with another sarcastic comment because of how excited he looked about his thought that I just knew was going to find its way of getting us into trouble.

"No seriously, I have an idea about what we can do to make this evening a little more interesting," he said, taking out the cherry on top of his sundae out while holding the stem with the tips of his fingers and dangled it in our faces. Shawn put the whole cherry in his mouth and ate it, now leaving only the stem. After swallowing the cherry, he gave us a smirk as he saw us looking intently on what he was about to do.

"What are you doing Shawnie?" Cory asked, seemingly a little nervous as to what his best friend was planning to do with the cherry stem.

Shawn shushed us. "Silence and watch the master do his trick." He then proceeded to putting the cherry stem into his mouth. I furrowed my eyebrow. _Was he planning on eating the cherry stem and then puking it up later?_ my innocent mind questioned as it never occurred to me what else Shawn would do with the cherry stem in his mouth. Only mere seconds later did it take for Shawn to open his mouth and stick out his tongue at us to reveal the cherry stem was now in a knot.

My eyebrows raised as I looked at Maya to seek for an answer to Shawn's confusing act. Maya's smirk remained plastered on her face as she looked at Shawn with challenging eyes.

"Is that all you got Hunter?"

"Why don't we see how fast you can tie a cherry stem Maya. If you can do it at all," Shawn teased. _I am soo confused._

By the looks of what Shawn had said, Maya was all rallied up and ready to take his bet that she could do it faster than he could.

"Maya-"

"Shh. Now watch the real master." Maya put the whole cherry in her mouth as Shawn had, and proceeded to chew small bites. She swallowed the cherry and put the stem inside her mouth. Four seconds later, Maya stuck her tongue out, revealing her stem in a knot.

Cory and I glanced at each other, giving each other puzzled looks.

I raised an eyebrow, holding my hands up in surrender. "I give up. I am very confused."

"Is someone gonna tell us what's going on?" Cory asked as he watched his best friend snicker at the fact that Maya had tied the knot faster than he did.

"Impressed?" Maya teased spitting the stem into her napkin.

"Not unless you show me how good of a kisser you are, but of course any girl that kisses Shawn Hunter becomes an expert," Shawn responded back, smirking.

"Wait, _what_?" I asked, even more confused than I was two seconds ago. "What does kissing have to do with being able to tie a cherry stem with your tongue?"

Maya turned to me and petted me on the head. "Oh, don't you love the innocent ones?" she joked to Shawn.

"Maya," I whined, removing her hand from my head. "I'm serious. What does one have to do with the other?"

Maya looked over at Shawn. "Mind taking this one?"

Shawn shook his head. "Nah, I'll take the next one."

Maya glared at the boy across from her. "Wimp," she disputed, turning to me and leaned into my ear and whispered in this interesting information. As Maya explained, I stared straight ahead in horror as I tried to wrap my brain around this new concept.

"What? What is it?" Cory asked desperately. "I wanna know stuff!" he cried out exaggeratedly. Shawn rolled his eyes and leaned in to whisper Cory the same information.

Cory nodded in realization after he understood. He seemed to take it better than I did. "Ohh. Riley, let's try it."

I grabbed the cherry and quickly munched on it and felt as if I had almost swallowed it whole as I watched Cory do the same. Just as I was about to put the cherry stem into my mouth, Maya grabbed my arm to prevent me from what I was about to do.

"Not so fast. What do you think you're doing?" Maya asked in a motherly tone. She was making it seem as if I was a baby who was just about to put an unsafe toy in my mouth.

"I wanna see how good of a kisser I am," I explained.

Cory agreed. "Yeah, isn't that what you guys were trying to do?"

It took Maya all she could not to blurt out laughing in my face. "You two?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, majorly offended that my best friend thought I wouldn't be able to do something she could do.

Maya noticed the sad look on my face. "Don't take it personally, Riles. Not many people can do it."

"But why do you assume I can't do it? Am I not as capable as you are?"

Maya bit her lip. "It's not that you're not. It's just that you're not tough-looking. You just... need to be protected."

I was about to say something back when I heard Cory shout across from me, "Look! I did it! See?" he said happily, sticking out his tongue. And indeed he did. _Ugh! _

Shawn patted his curly-haired best friend on the back as a sign of acceptance and bonding. "Congrats buddy, but you do know that taking a full minute to tie the knot is not as impressive?"

"Oh," Cory answered back, the look of happiness and relieve quickly washing off his face by Shawn's comment. I couldn't take it any longer. I had to tie that knot to prove to Maya- to prove myself that I could and that I could be tough and live on the edge.

I took the stem once again and shoved it in my mouth, without Maya's consent. What followed afterward was only sheer embarrassment in front of my friends and my face turning a bright red cherry colour. How ironic.

* * *

It was the during dinner on Sunday night when Mr. Feeny first told us he would be hosting the school's radio show alongside his 'wacky sidekick' Alvin Meese. Just the sound of that made both Maya and I cringe.

"Since when did the school have a radio show?" Maya asked as she chewed on her dinner consisting of spaghetti and meatballs loudly. I guess that was how all the 'tough-looking' people ate their dinner.

Mr. Feeny found it best to ignore Maya's unconscious improper behavior at the dinner table for some reason. "They have had a radio show all throughout the history of the school, but it was cancelled ten years ago."

"Why would they do that?" I asked curiously.

Mr. Feeny slightly shrugged his shoulders as he swallowed a piece of meatball. "I suppose due to the low budget cuts, the school felt at the time that they did not necessarily need a radio show to keep the school running. It was not as popular in the eighties as it seems to be nowadays, therefore, I intend to bring it back."

Mr. Feeny politely excused himself after he finished his meal to wash his plate in the kitchen. After he left, Maya turned to me to whisper.

"Doesn't a radio show sound awesome?"

"Do you mean it would be awesome to listen to one from our school, or do you mean it would be awesome to be _on_ a radio show from our school?"

"Both! Too bad Feeny's the one running the show."

"Oh, come on. How bad could it be?"

_Should have listened to Maya. Why didn't I listen to her?_

* * *

"Good morning John Adams High," Mr. Feeny's voice echoed through the halls and in the cafeteria. Everybody stopped to listen. "After a ten year absence, we've dusted off the console and put Patriot Radio back on the air!" Nobody knew how to react to this, everybody was just looking at each other with confusion. Then Mr. Feeny did something amusing which got people interested. Instead of pressing the sound effect button to play the horn, Mr. Feeny pressed the sound effect button to make gurgling noises.

"You know, that's the best thing that he's done today," Maya said, as the four of us sat down to eat our lunches.

Cory took a whif out of his plate of just plain mash potatoes. "Mmm, mash potatoes," he said happily, digging into his lunch. I raised an eyebrow as I thought back to how my dad enjoyed mash potatoes more than life itself back in 2015.

We all tuned out (at least tried to) Mr. Feeny and his back and forth uninteresting choice of topic discussion with Alvin Meese as we tried to have our own discussion.

"So Riley, have you practiced the cherry stem knot?" Shawn asked pompously.

Maya hid her snickering, trying to not make me feel bad. I didn't have a chance to respond (not that I had a smart comeback anyway) because Mr. Feeny had blasted cringe-worthy music by some guy named Michael Bolton. Shawn took the plastic spoon which Cory was using to eat his mash potatoes and quickly got up on a chair and attempted to cut the wires of the P.A system as the rest of us covered our ears with our hands, trying to block out the sound of the piercing music that Mr. Teeny was punishing us with.

"Make it stop! Make it stop!" Cory pleaded, much like everybody else was doing.

"It's hard to cut the wires with a plastic spoon!" Shawn shouted over the loud music and painful screams of the other kids.

"Just rip the whole speaker down!" Cory suggested.

"Let me do it, Hunter!" Maya said impatiently, aggressively climbing on top of the chair and pushing Shawn off of it. She took the plastic spoon out of his hand and began working on the speaker. I only wondered how much courage it took for someone as risk-taking as Maya to get up on that chair and try to damage school property.

I felt a prescene near us that we would not like having. I turned around swiftly to see Mr. Turner standing behind us just watching the whole thing.

"Uh, Maya?" I choked out, trying to get her attention by tugging on her shirt.

"Not now Riley! Ugh, this stupid spoon won't work! I need something sharper," Maya said, ignoring the fact that I was trying to warn her about Mr. Turner.

Mr. Turner on the other hand, had a smug look on his face as he walked closer to us and offered Maya his plastic knife. "Hey Ms. Hart, try this knife."

"Thanks," Maya said, taking his knife before realizing who was offering it to her. When it finally hit her, she turned around and returned the knife to Mr. Turner. Her lips forming a tight perfect straight line.

Cory and Shawn gasped, pointing their fingers at Mr. Turner simultaneously.

"Down," Mr. Turner demanded seriously. Maya jumped off the chair. Now I knew it didn't take too much courage to do that.

Now it was time for one of Mr. Turner's lectures. Not that I ever minded, but I couldn't say the same for the rest.

"Come on, guys. The radio station's been only on for five minutes. Is it really that bad?"

Cory's response was interrupted by Mr. Feeny coming back on the air.

"And now, a little change of pace. A blast from my past, this is Mr. Perry Como." The music that was currently playing was a bit more tolerable than the music that was previously playing, but it still had to be stopped.

"Mr. Turner, you clip the wires and we'll cover for you," Cory pleaded. Like the responsible adult he was, despite how much he probably wanted to do it, he kept his act together.

"You don't like what you hear? Get on the air and do better," Mr. Turner advised, walking over to take his seat to eat his lunch.

The threesome of my friends exchanged looks, I on the other hand was worried about what they were thinking. Surely this would get us in trouble as it never failed to do.

"On the radio?" Shawn asked, walking over to Mr. Turner, who nodded.

"Yeah."

"And who would be able to get us on the radio?" Maya asked, who I knew had been interested in this idea since dinner yesterday.

"I would," Mr. Turner responded. "If you're serious about this-"

"We'll do it!" Cory agreed too hastily.

"Wait a minute. What's the catch?" the more experienced Maya asked, putting on her tough-girl look face, which only hid the soft sensitive girl who I knew very well.

"Why would there be a catch?" Mr. Turner asked. "I want my students to get involved in extra-curriculars. Think you can squeeze in doing a radio show in between doing nothing at school and doing nothing at home?"

"What are you saying? We don't do anything?" Shawn asked and Maya quickly rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"You know, we should think about that. Maybe he's got a point. I mean, maybe if we became radio personalities, then we'd have personalities," Cory suggested. "Radio is just sitting around talking. Maybe you have to push a button."

"How hard?" Shawn asked.

"Like this," Cory said, pushing an imaginary button with his index finger.

"Hm?" Shawn sounded, pretending to push a button as well.

"Yeah," Cory said, and they both continued to push imaginary buttons.

"Are you kidding me?" Mr. Turner asked, looking at Maya and me. We only shrugged our shoulders as we continued to watch Cory and Shawn ridicule themselves.

"Okay, we'll do it!" Maya gave in, getting tired of watching my dad and Shawn make fools out of themselves, not that this wasn't this first time.

"We're naturals!" Cory said enthusiastically. "I've got a radio voice."

"And I've got a radio face!" Shawn said with his usual confidence. _Seriously?_

* * *

"Hi, I'm Cory Matthews, along with Shawn Hunter, Maya Hart and Riley Matthews here, and we're back with the most interesting show topic they would give us: 'Meet your Student Council'. Our guest today is Sara Fairnurn, secretary treasurer of your student council. And according to Mr. Feeny's program log, we'll be discussing the cancellation of the ninth-grade spring dance."

Maya took the microphone from Cory to speak to Sara. "So Sara, I imagine there's quite a story here."

"No, we just ran out of money," the red curly haired girl responded awkwardly.

"So you're saying someone stole the money?" Shawn speculated.

"That's not what she said," I defended in a whisper.

"We're trying to get a story here," Shawn whispered back.

"Uh, I heard that," Sara said, smiling meekly. "Nope, nobody stole the money, I counted it every day. We just don't don't have enough."

"So what's the plan now, Sara?" Cory wondered.

"We're gonna have a bake sale and try to save our dance," she responded, a little bit more enthusiastically now.

"Ah! Fascinating!" Cory lied. An awkward silence hovered over us.

"Well, go on," Maya encouraged as patiently as she could.

"That's about it," Sara said, shrugging her shoulders. "Can I go now?" she asked, getting up from her seat. Maya got up and gently pushed Sara back down as Cory grabbed the microphone and announced that he would play a song. He then turned off the microphone so that no one would hear us.

"No! Uh, stay here while we uh... get you some paper towels!" Maya said randomly.

Sara looked up at Maya with a puzzled look on her face. "But I'm not wet?"

Without thinking, Maya twisted the cap of her bottle of water open and poured some water on top of Sara.

"What's wrong with you guys?!" Sara said, shocked that we would do something like that. Mascara started dripping down her face. "I can't leave here with my makeup all smudged!"

"We'll get you those paper towels now," Maya said, pushing us out the door and into the halls.

"Maya, how could do you do something like that to poor Sara? That was just unacceptable! She was nice enough to be on our show!" I yelled. I always believed in the golden rule. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Was that too much to ask in this case?

"We couldn't just let her leave!" Shawn argued, defending Maya on her account like he usually did.

"What are we gonna do now?" Cory asked.

"Why don't we talk about politics? Or diverse cultures? Something that everybody can relate to!" I suggested enthusiastically. The trio gave me puzzled looks.

Maya pointed to the door. From our side we could see that the music had finished and now Sara was talking to one of our callers on the air. We all exchanged looks before we went back inside the room. Sara giggled as she spoke to the caller, twirling her curls in between her fingers. We all didn't understand what was going on.

"Sara, are you still going with Joey DeRuza?" the caller asked. I recognized the voice as Spencer from homeroom.

Sara giggled again. "We broke up last week. Why do you ask Spence?"

"Well, I've liked you ever since last year, and um..."

Cory, Shawn and Maya moved to sit down on either side of Sara, obviously interested in the conversation they were having on the air.

"She's smiling, Spence.." Cory edged on with a smile on his own face.

"Come on, Spence! If you don't ask out this red-hot babe, I will! Ow!" Shawn yelped in pain after being elbowed in the ribs hard by Maya. She nonchalantly pretended as if she did nothing wrong.

"Are you doing anything this Friday?" Spencer asked, hopefulness showing in the tone of his voice.

"No!" Sara answered way too quickly. "And I'd love to! I'll meet you at the soda machine right now!" she said, jumping up from her chair and vanishing into the hallway, the fact that her hair and face were still wet had disappeared from her concerns.

"And we've got a date!" Shawn announced, relief that the show was finally starting to kick off. At least in his opinion it was.

Knowing that we were still on the air, I asked, "Maybe we should go back to what Mr. Feeny allows us to talk about? Why don't we start with politics?"

The trio looked at me like I was an alien for what seemed like the millionth time today.

"We'll be back! Stay tuned for more!" Cory announced on the radio, turning off the switch.

"Riley, sweetie, what do you think you're doing?" Maya asked, trying to be as gentle as possible with me.

"You guys don't honestly believe kids are going to listen to us fix up other kids with each other, do you?" I asked.

"YES!" they shouted.

"What's so interesting about that?" I replied.

"Riley, Riley, Riley," Shawn cooed. "There's a thing or two you need to know about radio shows. People don't want to hear about school-related topics. They want to hear about stuff they can relate to. Dating is something they can relate to. It's relatable. It's fun, it's interesting. Kids don't get a lot of that these days. We need to give back to the community," he explained, resting his comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Are you sure we're not going to get into trouble with Mr. Feeny?" I asked, still unsure.

Maya scoffed. "Riley, do you think we would be doing this if it was going to get us into trouble with Feeny? Don't answer that."

"But we promised Mr. Turner we'd stick to the topic!" Was I just being whiny and a prude? Why didn't they feel worried about the possible ramifications that could come with our actions?

"If you really think about it, we'd be doing them a favor by making this radio show interesting. Isn't that what we're supposed to do? Keep our audience entertained?" Cory asked. I guess he was right?

_No more prude Riley_, I thought. For now on I was going to break rules and not care. Just like my friends. Because they _were_ my friends and knew what was right.

"Okay, I think I'm ready," I announced. My three friends patted me on the back proudly and sat back down in their chairs. I had a tendency to slouch back a little more than I usually did. Just when Cory was about to turn the 'on' switch, we heard a knock on the door. I fearfully turned around to see that a bunch of senior girls were standing at the entrance, smiling and giggling to each other.

"Are you the guys on the radio?" a tall, blond-ish girl wearing a tight green dress asked, seemingly the leader of the group. I could already see the drool appearing between our two hosts. _Gross._

"Yes, we are," Shawn stated confidently, after whipping the drool from his bottom lip.

"Could we be on the radio, too, and talk to boys?" the green dress girl asked.

Maya was about to reject them. "No-"

"That's why we're here!" Cory said, pushing Maya and I off our seats and letting the girl in the green dress and another girl sit in our seats.

Maya looked at me and rolled her eyes. "Well, that's something new," she whispered to me, and I was surprised she didn't look like she had any urgencies of beating up the boys for doing that to us.

Shawn turned the mic back on. "Cory and Shawn back at you with Lunchtime Lust!"

My jaw dropped. _Lunchtime what? _And how could they not mention our names? Maya still didn't move an inch. The boys were being driven by their raging hormones. We knew we had lost them.

"Let's meet our next contestant," Cory said enthusiastically, turning himself over to the girl in the tight green dress. "You are?" he asked gently.

"My name is Jasmine Fontana," the girl said into the microphone, giving a one hundred winning smile to our boys.

There was a short pause where the boys just stared at Jasmine. Then Shawn said, "If it isn't, it should be."

I was expecting a punch in the arm or an ear tug that Shawn would receive from Maya, but this time she just stood next to me with her arms by her side. Not doing a thing about the 'models' that had taken over our show. All she said to me was, "Riley, let's get outta here."

My eyebrows raised at her. "What, that's all you're gonna say? That's not the dangerous Maya I know."

Maya shook her head at me. "It doesn't have to be. I have something else in mind," she said, pulling me outside into the hall. The boys didn't even notice that we had left. Maya abruptly pushed me inside a locker, getting inside herself, then shutting the door behind us.

"Aren't we a little too old for this?" I asked worriedly, feeling the tight walls of the locker push me into an upright position.

Maya ignored my last comment. "_We _don't have to do anything about this. We didn't like the way they ran the show, well, that's Mr. Feeny's problem now."

"Then why are we in someone else's locker?"

"Because we're not gonna wanna be in there when Mr. Feeny fires them."

"Would he do that?" I asked, concerned for the boys.

Maya didn't even have to answer my question. From inside the radio show room we could hear Mr. Feeny declare angrily, "Consider your radio careers over."

* * *

The boys couldn't rat us out for being a part of Lunchtime Lust. While they were doing the show, in their teenage minds, we were invisible. _Good plan Maya._

Mr. Feeny brought in this guy named Lugwig to take over our show. With his thick and strong German accent, who could stand listening to him every lunch?

I believed this whole radio show thing was behind us, but Cory and Shawn sure didn't see it that way.

After History with Mr. Feeny, the boys tried to talk to us in the halls. We tried to ignore them as much as possible, except for the fact that they were 'sincerely' apologizing to us for what they did and that if we helped them get back into the radio show, they would try not to ignore us and treat us as equals. How could someone say no to that? Maya Hart sure could.

"If you try to take credit again for all of the hard work that Riley and I have put into the show, you will live to regret it," Maya threatened, backing the boys up into their lockers.

"Is that a yes?" Shawn asked hopefully.

"That's a maybe," Maya smirked. "One other condition. If we get to do Lunchtime Lust again, Riley and I get to pick the girls that get to come on the show. You got that?"

The boys exchanged pouts, but nevertheless agreed.

The same girls that were took over Lunchtime Lust came running up to Cory and Shawn with excitement. "Hi, guys. I have to tell you this- all the girls in fifth-period gym were talking about your show in the locker room," Jasmine Fontana said.

Apparently girls talking about them in the locker rooms while they were getting ready for a sweaty gym class was a big deal for our boys.

Shawn's jaw dropped. "Girls were talking about us in the girls' locker room? Just tell me, were the showers on?" Maya punched the dirty-minded Shawn in the arm. Again he yelped.

"When are you guys gonna be on again?" a girl standing behind Jasmine asked our boys.

"Real, real soon," Cory promised, but inside the four of us knew that it would not be happening anytime soon.

"We gotta get back on the air, man!" Shawn said to Cory once the girls left.

"How are we gonna get back on the air?" Maya asked.

"Okay, I'm thinking... I'm thinking..." Shawn said, putting his index fingers on his temples. _Wow, the most I had ever seen Shawn think was at that moment._

"I got it!" Cory shouted excitedly.

"What?" I smiled.

"We gotta get back on the air!" My smile dropped.

"You're a genius!" Shawn complimented his friend, high-fiving him.

"That's why we make such a good team," Cory said, getting caught up in his and Shawn's moment, so much that they hugged each other for that 'amazing' plan.

Maya and I exchanged odd looks.

We tried compromising with Mr. Turner when he passed by us but all he said that he could do was talk to Mr. Feeny and try to make him change his mind. To me that meant hope, but to my friends it didn't.

"Like talking to Feeny's gonna help," Cory said, scoffing to himself once Mr. Turner was out of earshot.

"What if he does listen this time?" I asked.

"He's just not gonna listen to anybody, Riley," Maya said, focusing me to face the cold hard fact.

"He's insane," Shawn added. "He's a hypochondriac!"

"A hypocrite?" I asked.

"Yeah, that!" Shawn answered.

"If we're gonna get back on the radio, we're gonna have to do it by ourselves," Cory stated.

"But how?" I wondered. "It's not like we can just lock ourselves in the janitor's closet and host the show from there."

The gang stopped pondering to look at me.

"That's genius, Riles!" Maya said, hugging me. "You're thinking more like me everyday."

"Nice job Riley!" Shawn complimented.

"But we're still gonna need a lot of help," Cory added.

Alive Meese passed by us right then and there. Cory and Shawn quickly stood in front of him to block his way.

"Alvin!" Cory said with fake enthusiasm. "Tell me something Alvin, you basically put that radio station together, right?"

"It's my baby," Alvin responded.

"Well, Pop, let's go see how Junior's doing," Shawn said, as we made our way into the janitor's closet.

* * *

The following day at school, we had everything set up to begin our underground radio show, with the help of Alvin Meese. Was I feeling guilty for doing this behind Mr. Feeny's back? Of course I was! But why couldn't I show it?

"The bad boys are back on the air!" Cory announced as we all stood crowded inside the janitor's closet.

Maya glared daggers at Cory. "What he meant to say is that _we're _back! Lunchtime Lust is back on the air!"

I pressed the cheering button proudly.

"They tried to silence us, but we're back and we're louder than ever!" Shawn hyped up the station. "And now that we're here, let's talking about the spring dance! Maya, what do you look for in a man?" Shawn winked.

"What does that have anything to with the dance, Hunter?" Maya asked. This was getting way too intense.

Shawn giggled. "I don't know."

There was a short pause before Cory could come up with something. "Mr. Feeny wanted us to talk about the spring dance. We'll do him one better. We'll give you a spring dance!"

"Right here, right now! Come on, everybody dance!" Shawn announced, playing rock music through the radio. We could hear the student body dancing to our music in the halls.

Maya smirked. "Let's start a Bill of Rights for students! And the number one amendment: The right to dance!"

"Anytime, anywhere," Shawn advertised.

"You can hear us, but you can't see us," Cory taunted, knowing that by now Mr. Feeny was searching for us. "Where are we?"

"Nope, keep looking," Shawn snickered.

"No telling where we could be, Hey, did you check the boy's room?" Maya asked. She paused until she was sure Mr. Feeny had checked and yelled, "Psych! Pirate Radio is being brought to you by the Constitution of the United States of America. The Constitution: Void where prohibited by Feeny."

"Our next musical selection is- Shawn, where's the tape?" Cory asked his buddy.

"Behind the bucket of janitor's mops," Shawn said, forgetting that everything he said was translated into the P.A system. Leave it to Shawn to forget something like that! Now we were toast for sure.

"D'oh! Or is that a fake clue, because we couldn't possibly be that stupid," Maya said, slapping Shawn on the arm for the millionth time that week.

The janitor's closet door swung open, and behind it was our worst nightmare.

"Oh, I think you're much more stupid than you give yourselves credit for," Mr. Feeny answered our question angrily. It was the most angry I'd ever seen him. And because I was part of the cause that made him feel that way, it made me want to crawl under a rock and die.

We all stood frozen in our spots. I couldn't look Mr. Feeny in the eye.

"Don't move," Shawn advised. "Maybe he doesn't see us." We all turned to give Shawn puzzled looks. Even Mr. Feeny was confused!

* * *

Mr. Feeny took us to go see Mr. Turner in the radio show room.

"Mr. Turner, here they are. You would assume responsibility for them, assume away," then Mr. Feeny left all of us alone for Mr. Turner to deal with us. I wasn't sure if it was worse this way. I would soon find out.

"So you catch our show?" Cory asked awkwardly, trying to lighten the mood so that our English teacher would go easier on us.

"Mm-hm," Mr. Turner mumbled, his rough hands cross his chest. He stood there in all seriousness.

"You got any constructive criticism?" Shawn asked.

Mr Turner shook his head. "Constructive? No."

"Look, we just wanted to get back on the radio, you wouldn't understand," Maya said.

"Oh, I wouldn't understand? Why don't you enlighten me, Miss Hart," Mr. Turner proposed.

"We were trying to exercise our right to free speech?" Maya guessed.

"Nice try," Mr. Turner responded. "Why don't you say something, Miss Matthews."

What could I say? That I thought my failed attempt at tying a cherry stem in my mouth gave me the right to do something so destructive to the school? That perhaps, in some ways, I wasn't like my friends at all and I would do anything to be like them?

"There's a fine line between doing something that's courageous, and doing something that's dangerous. I thought I could pass that line and there would be no difference, no consequences. I thought by being dangerous, I could be just like my friends." I turned toward my friends. "Not that I know you guys don't accept me the way I am, but you guys can do stuff that I can't do like tie a cherry stem in your mouth, and what can I do? I just wanted to be a risk taker for once. I didn't wanna get lost in the shuffle of my friends."

"Riley, I didn't know you felt that way," Maya said, comforting me with her arm wrapped around my shoulder.

"I still take full responsibilities for my actions," I added. "Because that's the courageous thing to do."

"Did you guys wanna be a bad influence on Riley?" Mr. Turner asked the trio.

"We didn't mean to," Cory said, obviously feeling guilty.

Mr. Turner continued. "You have responsibilities. Responsibilities to the school and to me. Now why was it so important for you to get back on the air that you were willing to shaft me?"

"Look, Mr. Turner, we're just trying to find our place," Cory tried to explain. "You know, we're only seventh graders. Everybody else seems to know who they are and where they belong. But we're nobody. We're misfits of the seventh grade."

"And you thought being on the radio would help you?" Mr. Turner asked.

Maya shrugged. "Yeah, I mean if we're on the radio and everyone thinks we're cool then we don't get lost in the shuffle." _Maybe we weren't so different after all._

"You feel lost?" Mr. Turner asked.

I looked to my friends. "I don't know about you guys, but I sure do," I admitted.

"What about you?" Mr. Turner pointed to Shawn.

"Yeah, sometimes," he answered.

"You know what? I bet a lot of people feel that way," Mr. Turner told us.

"Well, maybe they do, but I'm sure they don't wanna talk about it," Cory answered.

"Oh, I'm sure they do," our teacher smirked. "Look at all the calls we have already."

For the first time I looked down at the phone to see all the lights blazing red. Believe it or not, there were a lot more callers than when we did Lunchtime Lust. _We were on the air the whole time?!_

"We're on the air?!" Maya asked shocked.

"Someone must've turned on the switch accidentally," Mr. Turner managed to maintain his smirk as he spoke. _How sneaky..._

"And they heard all of that?" I asked insecurely.

"Yeah," Mr. Turner nodded. "See, guys, you don't have to do Lunchtime Lust just to get an audience. All you have to do is be honest. People will listen to that, too."

"Loyal, honest and decent," I recited, thinking back to the student-body elections.

"Exactly," Mr. Turner said. He pressed the red button to answer the first caller. "Hello, you're on the air."

Mr. Feeny's voice sounded through the phone. "Yes, I'm a first-time caller. Love the show."

"You have a question?" Mr. Turner asked.

"More of a comment, really," Mr. Feeny responded. "I thought you did a commendable job handling a rather difficult situation."

"Thank you, caller," our teacher smiled.

"And I do have a question. I'm curious as to what you think the appropriate punishment would be for your four guests?"

_Oh no. _We all gave each other worried looks.

"I'm thinking a week's detention?" Mr. Turner answered. We all sighed in relief until we heard Mr. Feeny's response to that proposition.

"Couldn't quite hear that, seems to be some static on the line."

Mr. Turner changed his mind. "A month's detention."

Even though we couldn't see Mr. Feeny, we knew he was smiling satisfactorily. "Loud and clear."

The four of us groaned in unison.

Cory hung up the call nervously to answer another caller. "Well, you know, that's one man's opinion. Let's hear from some other listeners."

"I say lock 'em up and throw away the key!" the new caller shouted from the other line.

Cory rolled his eyes as he recognized the voice to belong to his brother. "Get off the phone, Eric," he said annoyed, hanging up.

"Guys, trust me, you got off easy. There's a lot worse that could've happened to you," Mr. Turner warned.

And perhaps there could have been. But we still wouldn't know until we kept living in my dad's world. Little did I know that Mr. Turner was right. But that still didn't mean anything to me yet. Nothing that had happened thus far could compare to what the near future awaited for us. The worse had still yet to come...

* * *

**Author's Note: T****hank you guys as always for being awesome and always standing by me through every crazy thing that goes on in my life lol. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. I can't believe we're almost done with season 2! (of the story I mean lol) It's definitely been a long ride. The next chapter that Riley narrates will definitely be life-changing for her, which will lead into the season 2 finale which will hopefully blow your minds! 'Different Worlds' (the season 2 finale) will consist of a very serious tone throughout the chapter. It'll be in Maya's POV which will conclude season 2. Riley and Maya will get into a fight. Something happens. Where will that leave Maya? Where will that leave her 'little plant'? That wasn't included in the spoilers that I gave to AliciaMae26. Sorry Alicia lol, but this time you will have to wait as everybody else will. ;) Hopefully the finale will come soon, as I have been planning it for months now. :)**

**Two more things I wanna bring up. I will be more active on my Tumblr so please follow me there and you can also follow me on my second account on Twitter: GMWWiki. I tweet a lot of GMW stuff there, you should really follow the account, especially if you are on the wiki. :) We're trying to get as many followers as possible on the account, we've had it for a month now. Oh, I also got a response from the writers during the Q&amp;A marathon! I asked about whether Shawn would be back in Forgiveness. I think I got a yes? Also, please feel free to participate your answer on the poll that I put on my profile! How long do you want the story to go for?**

**Remember to send me questions through your reviews or tweet them to me on my Twitter and I will be answering them on the Google Hangout! Great way to celebrate the success of the story, right? ;)**

**I'll see you soon guys! ;P**

**P.S- TEXAS! (review if you got this reference, if not, review anyway!)**

**-Mimi1239**


	37. Trailer Trash

**What's up guys? :) And I'm back with another update! Sorry for not updating last week, but I had a family emergency and I did not have time to write this chapter and update until now. **

**HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF SEVEN YEARS IN THE NINETIES! There are 2 more chapters left after this one for season 2! Those of you who have been with me since the first season would know that I like to have this 'Did You Know?' segment where I basically tell you as many trivia facts as I can about how I wrote this season. I will also have the award for 'Loyalest Reviewers' and so this is where I give a shout-out to everybody who have reviewed every single one of my chapters and there will most likely be a lot of people who will be included in this shout-out because of the contest I had. :) The Google Hangout I hosted on Tuesday is now linked on my bio. It's just under the schedule for this story. Please check it out if you are interested in learning some stuff about myself and the background story of how I was able to make this story possible. There might have also been some stuff that I revealed, but you'll never know until you watch it! ;) **

**Chapter talk: Maya is a very interesting character. Did you know that? Lol, jk. Of course you did. She finds out something about Shawn that we already know. This chapter is very important to what happens in the last two chapters of this season! Just remember that!**

**I'd like to give a shout-out to those that reviewed my previous chapter: joyfish98, Guest, Esthernight, mrs peeta mellark 2.0, GMW23, Guest, Giggles789, Liseegirl, guest, Livj, Guest, Danni, Mari101, Hoalover716, Guest, Guest, ReaderWriterDreamer18, Guest, EtharahxBennica, emma, Deathlymockingjay, maranoismylife, musicalBooknerd13, Jemmie, and DisneyLover16.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

_In future times, Shawn would be the one assuring me that I was all right. That I would turn out all right, just like he had. Wow, how times have changed... _

Maya's Point of View

_**Tuesday, April 11th, 1995, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 8:10 A.M**_

Riley and I had just arrived to school just in time to see Jill Hollinger accepting a date with Shawn. She was one of those girls who had class yet wasn't snobby or stuck up. So why as this bothering me? She was so out of Shawn's league the comparison was massive, but was she exactly what he needed?

"Yes," Jill said, smiling at Shawn as they stood by the lockers.

"Say it again," Shawn pleaded as if it had been the very first time a girl had said yes to him, which was far from the truth. I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

"Yes, I'll go out with you," Jill said teasing, knowing Shawn was on the verge of breaking.

"Now say it with my name."

_Are. You. Kidding. Me?_

"Yes, Shawn, I'd love to go out with you Shawn." Jill smiled brightly, complying with everything Shawn was asking of her.

"There's _no_ way this is happening!" I commented to Riley, as we stood by the water fountain. Riley held up her hair and bent down to take a drink. "Any girl with status wouldn't just stoop so low as to do whatever Shawn Hunter wants them to do. I feel sorry for them, those poor poor victims."

Riley lifted her head up. "Are you done now Maya? I only say this with love. If Shawn likes the attention, who are we to decide what's right for him?"

"You're actually okay with this? Isn't there a point where it just gets way out of hand?"

Riley stood upright and shrugged. "I don't see anything wrong with that girl liking Shawn so much she's going out with him. What do you see, Maya?"

"I see... not good things. I can feel it in my gut."

We panned our attention back to the couple. I, unlike Riley, watched them with a critical eye.

"Well, who's Shawn?" Shawn asked jokingly.

Jill followed his game and answered, "You are."

"I know!" Shawn said happily.

I casually walked in between them, pretending like I was getting something from my locker when I wasn't, my back facing them. I turned around about to say something to them when I realized Jill had already left and Shawn was stuck in 'Jill-land', way too distracted to even notice I was there.

Cory walked up to Shawn right after Jill had left. "Jill Hollinger, wow! This is a whole new type of girl for you."

"I know!" Shawn responded. "She's got style, she's got elegance, she's got parents."

I scoffed. "Big deal. There's more important things to life than having 'style, elegance and parents'. What about intelligence?"

"Maya, Jill's one of the top students in our class," Riley reminded me, walking over to us. _Well of course she would know that._

"Does everything have to be about school?" I asked in annoyance.

"Sounds to me like you don't like Jill," Cory inferred.

"Sounds to me like you're jealous," Shawn smirked. I stepped up closer to Shawn.

"Sounds to me like you're an idiot," I fired back, smirking back.

Before Shawn could defend himself, Eric and his friend Jason appeared next to us. _Where did they even come from?_ That question didn't seem to matter anymore when we all realized they had been eavesdropping in our conversation the whole time!

"Look! Baby geeks discovering the female of the species," Eric teased.

I was about to fire-back with a smart comeback when Riley grabbed my arm and whispered tensely, "He's talking about Shawn and Jill, right? Please tell me he is."

I avoided Riley's question, knowing the truth.

"I say we tag them and return next spring," Jason continued the teasing.

"Why don't you return never!" Cory retorted at his brother and his brother's friend. Not that it made a difference anyway. As long as there was nothing else to do, Cory and us (sadly) were their targets of amusement.

"They attempt to protect themselves by puffing up," Jason answered smartly, causing him and Eric to burst in laughter.

In all honesty, it didn't bother me that they often teased us. Because it was just them poking fun at us. Not meant to be taken seriously. While there were other guys such as Harley Keiner and his lackies that did more than just joking around.

"I don't see you guys with any girls," Shawn pointed out. _Hmm, impressive. Strong argument. Wonder how they would get out of this one?_

"Oh, please! We only hunt when we need to hunt," Eric defended their 'masculinity'. Then Jason made some kind of Bugs Bunny reference when they saw a girl and then they were drawn to flirt with her.

I turned to Shawn, pointing my finger at him and spoke in a warning tone, "Don't believe everything people tell you. If something's too good to be true, it most likely isn't. Understand?"

"Anything you say."

"Good," I said, satisfied that I was able to convince him, until I turned around to walk into homeroom.

Shawn muttered under his breath, "But I still think you're jealous."

_Too good to be true. Should have seen that coming._

* * *

For English class we were forced to write biographies on someone we admired. I was planning to write about Spongbob SquarePants until Mr. Turner told us we weren't allowed to write about fictional characters once Cory admitted he was going to write about Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise. Then I realized Spongbob didn't exist yet until 1999!

I tapped Riley on the shoulder. She turned around and raised both her eyebrows.

"Who are you planning to writing about?" I asked her.

"Malala Yousafzai," she answered proudly until she came to the same conclusion that I had just seconds before asking her. "Oh..."

"Do we even know anybody from this decade? How are we even supposed to do research for this assignment without our cell phones? It's impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible. The word itself says 'I'm possible!'" Riley smiled cheerfully.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" I asked, staring at her incrediously.

Instead of answering my simple question, Riley raised up her hand instead to ask Turner something. It was like a lightbulb had went off in her head.

"Miss Matthews, nice of you to raise your hand," Mr. Turner joked heartily. "Do you have a question about the assignment?"

"Um, yes. Could I do mine on Audrey Hepburn?"

"Well," Turner started, and I knew it would not end well for the little plant. "It's an interesting choice, Miss Matthews. Now unfortunately Audrey Hepburn passed away two years ago. I'd prefer you'd do your biography on a living person. It doesn't have to be somebody famous. Just somebody real. Anybody you like."

"Anybody?" Cory perked up.

"Anybody," Turner responded.

"Absolutely anybody?" Shawn asked.

"Absolutely anybody."

I raised up my hand, knowing where this was heading. "When you say anybody, you mean like _anybody_?"

Turner lifted an eyebrow. "Yeah? What's the problem Miss Hart? Anybody means anybody."

"Just watch," I said simply.

"I pick Shawn!" Cory announced.

And of course Shawn decided to follow suit. "I pick Cory!"

I smirked slyly at Riley. "And because that just happened, I pick Riley. What do you say little plant?"

"Yay," Riley said, a little less enthusiastic than I anticipated her to be.

* * *

While we were eating our lunches in the cafeteria midday, we decided we would all start working on our biographies on each other. "Alright, Shawn Hunter, now, where are you from?" Cory asked Shawn.

Riley imitated her father by taking out her pen and paper. "Alright, Maya Hart, now, where are you from?"

"I'm from here," Shawn responded to Cory's question.

"I'm from New York," I said, responding to Riley's question.

Cory scratched his chin, evidently not liking Shawn's answer. "Uh-huh. Shawn was raised by wolves," he said, writing down his made-up answer.

Shawn was about to protest when he saw Jill Hollinger walk into the cafeteria and he howled jokingly. He quickly got up and left to go talk to her.

Riley leaned in to me and whispered worriedly, "What do you think is gonna happen?"

I sighed, observing Jill's nervous behavior to the way Shawn came up to her. "Well, if I know girls like Jill, not good things."

Seconds later, Shawn came back with a confused and sad look on his face.

Cory got up and walked over to Shawn. "What was that about?"

Shawn shrugged. "I don't know. She just totally blew me off."

"Yeah, but this morning she couldn't wait to go out with you," Cory mentioned.

"Doesn't make sense. Something's wrong," Shawn said, finally coming to the same conclusion that I did a long time ago. That something would not be right.

"I don't wanna say 'I told you so' Hunter, but I did." _Did that even sound sincere? It probably wasn't since it was coming from me._

"Maya, don't-" Riley said.

Shawn interrupted. "No, she's right. I'm nothing more than trailer trash, right Maya?"

I froze. "N-no. That's not what I meant-" I didn't have the chance to even finish my sentence before Shawn stormed out of the cafeteria.

* * *

"Why did you do that Maya?" Riley asked me in a motherly tone as we were getting ready by our lockers to walk home.

"I didn't do anything!" I said defensively. "He just assumed that I meant he's trailer trash! I should go talk to him, right?" Riley gave me a look. "Yeah, I know."

I walked outside the school. The cool crisp air of spring hit my skin as I made my way to the trailer park. When I arrived there, I had noticed that almost nothing had changed since the last time I was there. At most there were a few trailers that were parked in different places. But that made no difference since trailers came and went just like friends did.

I walked to the trailer that read 'The Unters' and just assumed that the 'H' had fallen off since the last time I was there. All the trailers looked almost the same anyway. Little did I know that assuming what I had I would regret in an instant.

I knocked on the door confidently and waited for a response. A grumpy old man with a pitchfork came out and said, "What?"

I quirked my eyebrow. "I-I'm looking for Shawn Hunter, sir. Isn't this the Hunter's trailer?" I was confused as to why none of the Hunters came out. Who was this man?

"This ain't the Hunter's trailer! This is the _'Unter's'_ trailer! Now scram lil' girl or I'll lose ma patience on ya!" the grumpy old man yelled, holding up his pitchfork, ready to charge on me. I didn't think twice and ran as far away from the crazy old man as possible. Without stopping, I looked back to see if he was following me when I bumped into something hard and fell on a puddle of mud. I looked up and sort of sighed with relief when I saw that the person that I had bumped into had been Shawn.

"You wanna tell me why you're sitting in mud?" Shawn asked plainly, running his hand over his hair.

I glared up at him. "You wanna tell me why you're suck a jerk?"

Shawn offered his hand and I took it. He pulled me off the ground.

"What are you even doing here, Maya? You don't belong here."

"What does that even mean? Why did you even skip school after lunch?"

"My uncle Mike needed me to watch his Motorcycle Repair Shop while he hid from the cops for a few hours," Shawn said like it was a common thing.

"Alright well, all I came here was to apologize. You're _not_ trailer trash, that's not what I was trying to say. I feel sorry for Jill though, because she's missing out on someone great."

"You think I'm great?" he smirked cockily.

"Eh, you're all right."

Shawn led me into his trailer and I looked around, noticing that in fact it was not his trailer at all. It was a little bit more spacious and hollowed but this was definitely not his trailer.

"Uncle Mike's letting me stay here for a couple of days while my parents are out of town," Shawn explained to me.

"Where did your parents go?" I asked curiously, looking around the worn out and dusty place.

"Uh, Vegas I think they told me? I'm not sure, they like to go to random places and not tell me until they come back. They're unexpected and surprising that way."

_Unexpected and surprising, why did this sound familiar?_ It was not like anything that was happening in Shawn's life mirrored what had happened in mine. But the thing was that it did. I shrugged it off and decided to go change into whatever I could find in the bathroom. I came out wearing a pair of Shawn's jeans which I had to roll up the cuffs a little so that they wouldn't drag on the floor and make me look shorter than I already was.

A scent of chicken hit my nose immediately once I entered the living room. I followed the scent into the kitchen where I was extremely shocked to find Shawn cooking.

I smirked amusingly. "Since when do you cook?"

Shawn turned around and smirked at my choice of wardrobe. "I've always thought my clothes would look good on you. To answer your question, since my uncle told me I should be doing more around here until my parents come back. But you can't tell anybody, not even Cory. Want a bite?" he asked, dipping his spoon into the pot and scooped up a bite-size piece of chicken.

I shrugged my shoulders at the seemingly editable object. _Why not? I was starving and it wasn't like I was gonna die from it._

I tasted the chicken in my mouth. "Not bad Hunter," I said, impressed by his hidden cooking talent. "Who needs Jill, right? If she doesn't like you for you, she doesn't deserve to go out with you."

"You're right!" Shawn exclaimed, boasting up his energy.

I sighed. "If only Jill knew the real you."

"Yeah, but she doesn't. But now you do."

* * *

The next day at school, Cory, Riley and I had noted that Shawn missed first period, which was unlike him. He would often come in late, but never miss it entirely unless he was sick. Especially after our conversation yesterday, I thought he would be better than ever... guess not.

As the three of us were getting our books for second period, Shawn came up to us at fast pace, excited to tell us something.

"Cory! Guys! There you are."

Cory quirked an eyebrow. "You okay?"

Shawn nodded. "I'm great!"

"Good," Cory responded, seemingly not fully convinced.

"Why did you miss first period then?" Riley asked.

"I had a conflict," Shawn admitted.

Realizing what that could possibly mean, I asked cautiously, "What conflict?"

Shawn giggled like a little school girl for lack of being able to contain himself. "Wait for it."

We all looked around until we saw Mr. Feeny passing by the halls. He was soaked from his knees down. My eyes widened, realizing there was a connection to Shawn's 'conflict' and the cause of Mr. Feeny's socks being soaked.

Mr. Feeny tried his best to block as many students from entering the lower hallway of the school.

Riley walked up to him and asked. "What happened, sir?"

"Well Miss Matthews, the lower hallway is flooded," Mr. Feeny explained sadly.

"Who would do such a thing?!" Riley expressed over-dramatically, like she usually did. "My next class is there... oh..." she said, finally understanding what or _who _had been the cause of the flood. "Never mind, I didn't even like that class anyway," she shrugged, coming back to us while Mr. Feeny went to go get Janitor Bud and his 'big mop'.

"You?" Cory asked Shawn.

Shawn nodded proudly. "I also freed the rats in the biology lab and get this, I turned all the clocks ahead twelve hours." The bell rung as if on cue and Shawn smirked, "Yeah sure."

I pushed Shawn aside as Riley and Cory followed close behind me. "What did we talk about yesterday? You said you were alright, right? So why do you gotta go and do something like that to Mr. Feeny?"

Cory nodded. "Yeah, because naturally I'm impressed and all, but what do you think you're doing?"

Shawn shrugged simply. "Just giving you good stuff for your bio, Cor. 'A mild-mannered youth until seventh grade, Shawn realized he was nothing but trailer trash, so he blew up the entire school'."

Riley gave me a confused look. "I thought you handled this, Maya?"

I glanced at her before turning back to Shawn. "I did! Again with the trailer trash thing, Hunter? Haven't we've already said that Jill knows nothing about you? We're your friends, and we're saying that you don't need to blow up the school."

Shawn looked at us as if we'd just insulted him big time. "This is about me being who I am, so if you don't like it you three can just buzz off." He turned away and walked toward Harley Keiner's gang. I was ready to charge at him for talking to us that way when Riley and Cory held me back.

"We haven't lost him yet," Riley said, hope sounding through her voice.

Shawn and Harley's gang walked past us moments later. Cory stopped Shawn before he could leave with them.

"Hey, Shawn, why do you want to hang out with these guys?"

"What's wrong with that?"

I spoke up. "Whatever your problem is, these aren't the guys to help you. You should know that Hunter."

"So you think I have a problem?" Shawn asked me directly. I didn't know what to say, so Shawn turned to Cory. "It's time we both faced the facts."

"The facts?" Cory asked him.

"Cory, you and I are different. Sooner or later, we're gonna end up in different places."

"Says who?"

"Why don't we just do us both a favor right now and call it quits, okay?"

"How could you said that?" Riley asked hurtfully.

I could see Shawn's eyes turn into a pale grey color. "You guys just don't get it, do you?"

"Get what?!" Cory yelled in Shawn's face.

"Look at your house, Cor! Look at where you live. Look at how I live. Look at your parents. Look at my parents. I know where I'm gonna end up. Just let me get there now." Shawn left with the thugs before we could do anything else.

The bell rung which meant we were late for class.

I looked over at Riley. "We lost him now pumpkin."

Turner poked his head out of his classroom and just saw us three standing in the hallway with nobody around us. "Where's your friend going?" he asked, referring to Shawn.

Cory shrugged sadly. "I wish I knew."

* * *

Turner let us work on our biographies in class the next day at school. Since Shawn skipped class and he knew he was most likely hanging out with Harley and his thugs outside the school, Cory had no choice but to not do anything for the entire period. Riley and I felt bad for him, so we let him join our circle to keep his mind off his best friend.

"Maya, what do you think of yourself?" Riley asked me, preparing her pen and paper to write down whatever I would say.

I shrugged. "I dunno. I can't think straight right now when I know Shawn's out there doing god knows what with those lowlifes!"

Riley groaned. "How are we supposed to do anything while we're still in class?"

I looked around the classroom. _Wait, where did Cory go? _

"Where's Cory?"

Riley looked at me worriedly. "Something's happening, I can feel it!"

I called Turner over as I tried to calm Riley down. "I think Harley and his gang are up to no good," I whispered in Turner's ear.

Turner, realizing what that meant, quickly hurried out of the classroom. We tried to follow him, but he told us we should stay in class and that he would handle things from here.

Once he left, Riley and I snuck through a different way around the school and peeked out the door which lead to the school's parking lot. We were relieved to see that Turner had arrived just on time before his bike was wrecked. It was just Harley and Shawn that remained out of all the thugs. Cory stood beside Turner.

"Why is Shawn holding the bat? What does that mean?" Riley asked concernedly, referring to the fact that it was not Harley that was going to wreck Turner's bike, but Shawn. I had to admit, I was surprised by that.

"It means he's lost his mind," I explained, opening the door before stepping outside into the parking lot. Thankfully Harley had left by then so it was only Cory, Shawn and Turner. Instead of trying to stop me, Riley only followed.

We had walked in in the middle of Turner's lecture to Shawn.

"Who you kiddin'? What's with you, Hunter? Why you wanna hang out with these lowlifes?" Turner asked in his state of protectiveness toward the boy.

Shawn looked anywhere else but at Turner. "Maybe I'm a lowlife too, okay?" _How could he think that about himself?_

Turner gave a short pause. "Is that what you think?"

"That's what everybody else thinks."

"I wanna know what you think," our teacher insisted.

"Hey! I'm out here with a bat, aren't I?" Shawn answered angrily.

"Yeah! But you didn't swing it."

"I don't know anything. I don't even know who I am!" Shawn shouted. It reminded me of the cherry bomb incident which happened a year ago, but we were younger at the time. Now things were different.

I walked up to the boy with the bat. "Hey Hunter, _we_ know who you are. You're our friend and you can't just forget something like that."

Cory jumped in. "You're Shawn Hunter! You were raised by wolves. It says so in your bio."

"Turner knows you're all right, right sir?" I turned to Turner.

"You think I'm all right?" Shawn asked our teacher.

Turner nodded. "I do, but if you don't know that deep down inside you're all right, then I haven't taught you anything at all. I think you need to think you're all right."

Mr. Turner and Cory walked back into the school while Shawn, Riley and I stayed outside.

Riley was about to follow Turner and Cory until she saw we weren't following her. "Aren't you coming guys?"

I looked at Shawn, knowing we had some unresolved issues. "We'll be inside in a minute, okay?"

Riley nodded and went back inside the building. I sat on top of Turner's bike, resting my elbow on top of the handle.

"Tell me the truth Hunter, was this all because Jill didn't want to go out with you because you live in a trailer?"

"Why does it matter to you what Jill thinks?" he asked me.

"Because I know girls like Jill, okay? People judge you because of where you live and it gets inside your head. I've seen it a million times at-"

"The orphanage?"

I paused. _Sure, let's go with that._ "Yeah... the orphanage. But the thing is Shawn, you can't let any Jill get to you!"

"You think I'm all right?"

"Yeah, I do," I admitted.

In future times, Shawn would be the one assuring me that I was all right. That I would turn out all right, just like he had. _Wow, how times have changed..._

"Okay," he shrugged. Then it hit me.

No, this had to be something bigger than what Jill said. She was not the reason for Shawn's behavior. I had heard the stories millions of times because I wanted to. Older Shawn's parents leaving him in the seventh grade... I'd heard the stories a million times, but... how could I have not seen it coming?

"Your parents didn't actually go to Vegas, did they? At least not together. Your mom left, but you're dad went after her."

Shawn's eyes widened. "How did you know?"

I chuckled bitterly. "Shawn, we're more alike than you think. We're stayers, remember?" _Only older Shawn would understand what I meant there. One day so would this Shawn too._

* * *

Back in class, we were all back to normal. I noticed Riley sweating bullets in front of me as she worked on my bio. I tapped her on her shoulder and she turned around to look at me.

"Hey, Riles?"

"Mhm?"

"What did you put down for my bio? Who am I?"

A smile tugged on Riley's lips as she read the first line in her bio.

"Maya Hart, a good friend who always knows when her friends need her by their side..."

* * *

**Author's Note: What did you think of this chapter? :) You'll be happy to know that I will be having another Google Hangout, so if you missed the first one, don't worry! You can still be a part of the next one in any form that you wish. The info of that will be posted on my Twitter and Tumblr. I may have it sometime this week, but we'll see. :) Girl Meets Rileytown has inspired me to talk about my in school bullying experience, which are three separate stories.**

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**I want to give a special shout-out to three great people who I have been conversing with through Fanfiction (joyfish, the trailer park scene was inspired by her), email (Delainey Lucas) and Twitter (Shannon). They are super nice people and are a privilege to talk to. :)**

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**Love you all! :)**

**-Mimi1239**


	38. Late Blooming

**Hey guys! I'm back! I feel like I say that a lot lol. HAPPY BELATED HALLOWEEN! After you read this chapter, please head over to my YouTube Channel (Mimi1239 Fanfiction Productions) (it will also be linked in my bio) and watch the first ever After Talk chapter video for this story! You will see me talking about what happens in this chapter and all that jazz. After that, in the description box below the video, click on the links for my Tumblr Blog Q&amp;A (Yes, I am doing this again!) and the comic strip for this chapter! :) How exciting is this? More stuff coming, and it's all thanks to your support! :) I will also be starting a 'Lucaya' story as well as posting video reviews of every episode of GMW after it airs on my channel. Tell me what you guys think about this when you review this chapter! :) My review videos for Girl Meets Texas are also up on my channel as well so check 'em out! :D**

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**Chapter talk: Alright, so if you watched my first Hangout, you already know what's gonna happen in this chapter. Not everything, but you at least understand the meaning of the title. Now watch Riley's 'life-changing' experience and how it relates to what Maya went through in chapter 16. Now watch Riley's own reaction to it. ;) From this moment forward, you will be experiencing 'the change'. Of the story of course, lol. **

**I would like to give a shout-out to those who reviewed my previous chapter: Giggles789, Guest, randomreader118, alyssaunicorn, PinkDisney240, JoySeph13, AliciaMae26, mysimplewords, joyfish, Guest, Anna, pancakespickelsjoganlucaya, Guest, Guest, Outlaw321, MASSIVE FAN, musicalBooknerd13, Hoalover716, Guest, Breakawayking57 and IpsNerdz. **

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* * *

_I shut my eyes tight, waiting for the worst. This is where things change..._

Riley's Point of View

_**Wednesday, May 31st, 1995, **__**Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 8:10 A.M**_

Today just so happened to be Career Day. The only day where the parents of the students had the opportunity to come in just to tell stories of their kids and embarrass the heck out of them. Well okay, that wasn't all that Career Day was about. It also had its upsides. What were they? Well, we got to see what we would look like in about twenty years, which was never usually a pretty sight.

"Mr. Feeny, are you going to participate in Career Day? Since you're our foster parent and all," I asked Mr. Feeny as he drove us to school on Career Day.

"Yes, Miss Matthews, it would be a pleasure for me to go into your English classroom and tell all your classmates about the importance of my job as principal of the school and what I do."

"But don't you already do that in History?" Maya asked, secretly mocking Mr. Feeny. I turned to glare at her until I heard Mr. Feeny's response.

"Yes, but not in English," he answered wittily.

Maya groaned.

* * *

We walked into homeroom and took our seats. Mr. Feeny stood alongside the other parents of the students who volunteered to come in to talk about their jobs up at the side window of the classroom. Most of the parents seemed calm and confident in their demeanor, but looking at Mr. Matthews told me a different story. He showed a nervous and panicky look on his face that screamed 'I don't want to be here!'.

"Today we find out I'm not a basketball player's son," Cory declared to us sadly. "My dad is a grocer. I'm a grocer's son. I'm a son of a grocer."

I made a 'pssh' sound. "Come on Cory, it's not that bad and your dad will do great," I said reassuringly, although not even I believed the words that were coming out of my mouth. The more I looked at my grandfather 'Mr. Matthews' and his sweaty forehead, the less confident and sincere I felt.

Maya nodded, agreeing with me. "Yeah, and it's not like you have the principal of the school as your representative," she pointed out sulkily, regretting the fact that she got out of bed this morning.

Cory shrugged. "Eh, that's nothing! At least Mr. Feeny doesn't have to clean up any spills on aisle four."

Shawn quirked his brow. "But isn't he the manager? Shouldn't someone else be in charge of spills?"

"Yeah, but Eric always makes big messes whenever he's trying to impress a girl by showing her the 'meat' section and my dad doesn't want him to get fired so he cleans up his messes for him."

I smiled brightly. "Why are you so embarrassed? He's your dad, he loves you and all he wants is what's best for you." My smile slowly faded as I realized how hypocritical I was being. All _my _dad wanted was what was best for me, so why did I push him away? How could I have been such a horrible person back then?

Maya saw the expression on my face, not needing to ask me why I looked so sad because she knew why. She put her arm around me in a comforting way, Cory and Shawn took no notice into what we were doing as they were still preoccupied with Cory's problem.

Mr. Matthews came up to us moments later, seemingly excited yet nervous at the same time. _Oh boy._

"Hey guys, umm... Guess how many different kinds of rice we have?"

I looked at everybody's faces and saw that Cory's face had turned tomato red. "Oh, no," Cory sighed.

"Come on, Shawn, guess," Mr. Matthews nudged Shawn encouragingly.

Maya smirked, going up to Mr. Matthews and patted him on the shoulder. "Yeah Shawn, guess how many different kinds of rice this man has."

Shawn glared at Maya before answering hesitantly. "Ten?"

Mr. Matthews chuckled like Shawn had said a _really _funny joke_. _"Ten, counting the short grains. Throw them in, forget about it!" The three of us pretended to laugh while Cory just looked away in embarrassment.

Once Mr. Matthews left, we all seized our fake laughs. Shawn turned to Cory. "Cory?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad I'm not you."

I patted Cory's shoulder comfortingly. "Hang in there bud," I said before I went to sit at my seat while the trio remained talking. I turned my attention to the cute boy who sat in front of me. My boyfriend Ricky.

"Hey, did you invite anybody to Career Day?" I asked, unable to stop myself from blurting that out. It wasn't that I wasn't comfortable talking Ricky, but I'd never asked him about his parents and what happened to them. _Would he be the only kid in the class that didn't bring an adult to Career Day?_ My face turned red. "Uh, should I have asked that?"

_No, really. Should I?_

Ricky smiled genuinely at me. "Riley, it's okay, and yes, I did. Nurse Millar should be here any minute now. She had to drop off the kids at their school so she's running a bit late."

Nurse Millar? Great...

I forced a smile. "Oh, that's great. Can't wait to see her. Could you just give me a minute?"

Ricky nodded and turned back around to face the front.

I spun around in my chair to see that Maya was still talking to Cory and Shawn. I ran up behind her and desperately whispered in her ear, "Maya, bay window. Bay window in ten seconds!"

Maya groaned lazily. "Right now? Is it really that important? I'm talking to the boys here-" her sentence was cut off when I grabbed her arm and dragged her out the classroom door. The whole class had probably stared at us weirdly, but in that moment nothing mattered to me more than telling Maya about this important information.

I sat her down on the bench. "I'm sorry I had to do that, Maya, but something just happened."

She looked up at me incredulously. "What happened Crazy?" she asked me jokingly, at first not believing that I was being serious. When she saw I wasn't kidding, her eyes widened. "Riley, you're scaring me, tell me what happened."

I sat down next to her and put my shaky hand on her shoulder. "You have no idea. Something's changing, I can feel it. Ricky just told me Nurse Millar will be here soon."

"What? Why?"

"For Career Day!" I sighed. "Do you regret that we told her everything about us?"

Maya shrugged. "Well, we had to. She already knew who we were. We didn't have a choice."

"Do you think she'll do anything crazy?"

"Oh, if she's Crazy Hat, I know she will. Just don't let her smell your fear."

I lifted up my arms to smell my under arms. "She can tell?" I asked baffled.

"No I don't mean- oh what the heck," Maya said, giving up. "Just don't let her sense that we have anything to hide or she'll find out before we even do."

I twitched my nose. "How does that even make sense?"

Maya smirked. "Beats me chump. We're the time-travelers here."

I took a deep breath before we headed back into the classroom. Already Mr. Turner was starting the introduction.

"First of all, I would like to say thank you to the parents for being here. After they speak, you guys should have a better idea of what kind of vocations interest you."

I hurried into my seat as Shawn raised his hand and was about to say a witty comment. Mr. Turner fired back before Shawn could say it. I was hoping that he wouldn't notice Maya and I interrupting by just walking in while he spoke, but considering the fact that Nurse Millar, of all the people that worked at the orphanage, would arrive here soon, we knew that luck was just not on our side today.

"Miss Hart and Miss Matthews, glad you could join us, as usual," Mr. Turner spoke with a hint of sarcasm. But knowing Maya my whole life, I knew she would not just take that from him.

Maya smirked. "Whelp, that's what we're here for sir. Always here to help, but we had some uh, women issues."

I turned around to glare at the fact of how open she was being, not just with our classmates now, but with the parents!

Mr. Turner cleared his throat. It was evident by his facial expression how uncomfortable Maya had just made him. "Okay, moving on. Our first speaker is Topanga's father, Jedediah Lawrence." We all clapped automatically.

"Thank you, Mr. Turner," a tall, man with round glasses stepped up to the front of the classroom. I raised my eyebrow curiously as it hit me who it was. "I think I should begin by telling everybody what I do; I'm a luthier." Mr. Lawrence pulled out a guitar from its instrument case, except this guitar was separate in its pieces, and therefore, not entirely finished.

"And I'm a Presbyterian, but to each his own, I say," Shawn responded back wittily, finally getting his moment in the spotlight.

Maya tapped me gently on the shoulder and whispered, "so that's your grandfather?" I nodded. "What ever happened to him?"

I shrugged simply, remembering what my mom had told me about my grandparents. "Mom said he and grandma Chloe got a divorce when she was in college," I whispered back. "After that she never really spoke to him."

"So you're saying you never got to meet him?"

I nodded once more. Maya gave me a surprised look. "Why do you look so shocked?"

"I just... thought you knew everybody in your family. That you all saw each other all the time..."

I shook my head and turned back to see my grandfather picking up his now pieced guitar and started playing it for the entire class. The look of enjoyment on his face made me grin sadly. I never got to meet my grandfather, and now that I did, I couldn't tell him who I was. _And who knew musicians run through my family?_

After he finished his presentation, Topanga ran up to hug her father. She didn't care about what everybody else thought of her. Why wasn't I able to be proud of my own dad when he would teach my class back in our time? I wasn't like Topanga at all, so I decided to stand up and go over to the father and daughter having their special moment.

"Hi," I waved awkwardly. "My name is Riley Matthews. I am... Topanga's friend."

My grandfather extended his hand to shake mine. "Well it's very nice to meet you Riley. Topanga has told us a lot about you."

"She has?" I perked up, meeting Topanga's lightly dancing eyes.

"Yes, of course I have!" Topanga said, putting her arm around me. "Daddy, Riley's a really great friend."

I smiled brightly too. _How could Topanga end up not wanting to speak to her father in six years?_

Mr. Feeny was next up. Maya kept her head down all through Mr. Feeny's presentation. Not surprising as she often did that whenever Mr. Feeny taught in History, it would just be like one of his regular classes.

"Hello everyone. I would like to thank you all for inviting me to Career Day. I am here on behalf of Miss Matthews and Miss Hart. I will be sharing my experience as a teacher and what my experience thus far has been as your school principal. Where shall I begin?" Mr. Feeny questioned, more to himself than anything, but Maya still decided to disrupt everything.

"Start from the end," she mumbled between her arms. A shock feeling went through my entire body when she said that. _This was going to be a long presentation..._

* * *

Most of the class had fallen asleep once Mr. Feeny was finished with his presentation. Including some of the parents. After a few more presentations, it was time. Cory's dad. _Oh boy._

I could go into detail of how things went with Cory's dad and his presentation, but I think I would only be making things worse by bringing it up after it already happened. Cory wasn't kidding, he really was the son of a grocer.

"Our next parent is-" Mr. Turner was interrupted by a figure at the door. We all turned around to see Nurse Millar standing at the door, wearing her nurse uniform and looking as though she had just finished running a marathon.

"My apologizes for being late, Mr. Turner," Nurse Millar said, slightly gasping for air. She made her way to the front of the classroom. My breath hitched. I felt a sharp pain in my stomach and I slightly whimpered. Believing it had to do with seeing Nurse Millar again, I shrugged it off. "You know how kids can be, they never want to go to school."

Mr. Turner looked down in embarrassment. "Actually I don't know about kids yet, but thanks for sharing. Would you like me to get you a glass of water?"

Nurse Millar ignored Mr. Turner's question. "What? Really? A handsome fella like you and no wife? Not even a girlfriend?"

"Well, he does like Miss Tompkins..." Shawn spoke, smirking at Mr. Turner.

"Shawn, there's no need to talk about my personal life in front of the class... Are you sure you wouldn't like a glass of water, Nurse Millar?"

"Don't worry sugar, I'm covered," Nurse Millar said, pulling out a liter bottle of water and winked at Mr. Turner. "I don't usually go for men like you, but I do have a boyfriend."

Mr. Turner cleared his throat uncomfortably for the second time that day.

I turned to Maya and laughed nervously. "Well, she's turning into Evelyn Rand every time we see her."

Maya nodded, gritting her teeth nervously. "Yeah well, that's what time does for ya."

"Ricky sweetie, would you mind holding my purse for me so that I can get started?" Nurse Millar asked, plopping her big purse on top of my boyfriend's desk.

Ricky nodded, smiling widely. "No problem, thanks for making it."

"Anything for you Ricky," Nurse Millar smiled genuinely, softly pinching Ricky's cheek with her fingers. "Now you see," she said, turning to face the class. "I am very fond of my children. I take pride in what I do. I am the head nurse at the orphanage and I love my job. I love my kids, and I protect them with my life," Nurse Millar said, staring directly at Maya and I. I avoided eye contact as much as possible, but it was hard not to for she was staring intensely at us.

Shawn's voice behind me woke me up from my trance.

"Maya, you're not breathing," I heard him whisper softly. I turned around to see him nudge Maya in the ribs.

Maya jumped. "Sorry!" she squeaked, out of breath. Then she realized what Shawn had done and turned to glare at him. "Touch me like that again and you'll live to regret it."

_Oh geeze..._

* * *

Nurse Millar's presentation wasn't at all what I was expecting. Okay maybe it was. I didn't like her being in our class. It was weird and awkward. How could she just waltz into the classroom like everything was okay? We had given her an entire year to figure out how to get us back to our time. We had trusted her with our lives at stake, and not once had she thought of coming over to inform us of some findings? The time we came to visit her was a disaster. Maya and I almost broke up!

"That was an interesting presentation Nurse Millar," Mr. Turner said after she had finished, seemingly a little scared by her openness and bluntness.

"Thank you sugar," Nurse Millar spoke, winking at Mr. Turner again and moving herself to the window ledge.

"Uh, alright," Mr. Turner announced. "That should have been our last presentation. I'd like to thank all of the parents for coming-"

Chet Hunter walked into the classroom. "Sorry I'm late. Uh, actually, I was out in the hall having a smoke. Don't endorse it, don't deny it."

Shawn stood up hesitantly. "Dad! You're back! I mean... I thought you were gonna be outta town?" Shawn quickly covered up his slip-up. _What did he mean he's back? Hasn't Mr. Hunter always been around?_

"Oh, if anybody asks, I am," his father mumbled to him jokingly. Chet walked up to the front of the class and shook hands with Mr. Turner. "Hi, Teach. Chet Hunter."

Mr. Turner moved aside to give Chet some room to talk. "Okay, everyone, let's welcome Shawn's father, Chet Hunter."

The class clapped for Shawn's father. Behind me I could hear Cory ask Shawn what his father did, Shawn responded back that he wanted to find out to.

In a nutshell, Mr. Hunter's presentation was probably one of the more interesting ones. Like Topanga's father, Mr. Hunter was able to keep everybody interested because of all the cool stuff he talked about. He claimed of inventing CNN, 'Chet's News Network' and he even went so far as to dare say he invented the microwave. Never realized how colorful Shawn's family really was...

* * *

Lunch, finally. Career Day seemed like it would never end, but when it did, I was glad. We heard twenty parents talk about their occupations. It had been a lot to take in for just one morning. Was it overwhelming to hear all of these adults talk about how they came into their own? Of course!

"Remember that world series game where the first baseman let that easy ground ball go under his legs, and his team lost and he was humiliated in front of the entire world?" Cory asked Shawn as we all sat to eat our lunches in the cafeteria. _Baseball talk, how fascinating..._

"Yeah?" Shawn answered, picking at his meatloaf.

"I envy his son," Cory sulked.

I smiled encouragingly. "Come on Cory, your dad did great! Everybody loved that cantaloupe bit. Right Maya?" I asked, trying to be enthusiastic for Cory's sake.

Maya shook her head, clearly not in the mood to help. "Don't get me into this mess."

Cory turned to Shawn. "_Your_ dad, he was awesome. Everyone loved him and he told great stories."

Shawn looked down at his meatloaf with a frown on his face. "Yeah, stories, it's all he has. Why do you think we live in a trailer park?"

Mr. Hunter entered the cafeteria and snuck up behind his boy. "Hey, Shawnie! Shawn's friends. Miss Maya Hart," he said. _Miss Maya Hart? How much has he seen Maya to call her that? _"I need to tell ya something Shawnie, and I'm not certain you're gonna like it."

"Dad, what's going on?" Shawn asked, getting up from his chair worriedly. "Did you find Mom? Is she okay?"

"Uh, yeah I did. In fact, she came back with me this morning before I came here. She uh, wanted to know how you were doing. I left her alone in the trailer park so that I could come to yer Career Day. I just came back from the trailer park and she's uh..."

"What, Dad? What happened? Tell me, please," Shawn pleaded his father, growing worried with each passing second that his father refused to tell him what had happened.

I shut my eyes tight, waiting for the worst. This is where things change.

"Your mother, she uh, took off. This time she took the house," Mr. Hunter paused awkwardly, not knowing what else to say. "See, that's the problem with having a mobile home. It's uh... uh, you can move it."

"Maybe she went to get it washed," I suggested, trying to bring some possibility into the situation.

Mr. Hunter looked at me and smirked. "So this is Riley, huh? The optimistic one."

"Yeah, we're still workin' on her, sir," Maya joked, patting my back.

I waved brightly.

Mr. Hunter shrugged. "Nah, I like optimistic people. They bring ya something rare."

"What's that, sir?" Cory asked curiously.

"Hope."

* * *

I went to the bathroom after fourth period. My stomach had been bothering me all day. Once I was in the stalls, I pulled down my underwear and was horrified by what I saw. A mixture of a reddish-browish color in my underwear. I knew enough to identify what it was. Blood. My period. The change. I screamed.

Thankfully, it was Maya who had heard me from outside and rushed inside the bathroom to my rescue.

"Riley, what happened? Did you find another cockroach on the toilet seat again?"

I was too occupied in my trauma episode to even do so much as to roll my eyes at Maya's comment.

"My- my- my t-thing..." was all I could say.

"Your thing? What thing?"

"M-my _period..._" I whispered.

"Huh?"

"I got my period!" I yelled, louder than I had wanted to.

All I heard after that was Maya's laughter. "Ha, that's it? Riley, congrats, you're finally a woman."

I glared daggers at her from my side of the stall. "Why is that something to be happy about? I'm bleeding! I'm dying!" I said over-exaggerating. I hung on to the walls of the stalls, feeling a bit claustrophobic in my current state.

"Riley, just wait there and I'll go get you a pad from my locker. Calm down or you'll just make your stress level go up. And that's not a good thing to do while you're on your period."

I waited impatiently for Maya to come back. _Why did this have to happen to me? Does every girl go through this at some point in their life?_

Maya coached me on how to put on a pad from her side of the stall. I felt like I made it into some sort of origami work the first few tries, but in the end I finally learned how to put the pad in my underwear. _How can Maya do this every month?_

* * *

The next day after we came home from school, Maya and I went straight to our room. She promised to show me where she kept her stash of pads so that I could use them whenever I needed to change myself. Maya dug into our underwear drawer, tossing the photo album onto her bed.

After Maya explained her expertise, she finished off with saying, "if you need more pads, we can go buy some more after school one day. You feeling better, chump?"

I shrugged. "Not as good as I did when I wasn't a woman," I responded honestly.

"Eh, you get used to it," she smirked.

Maya and I went downstairs to the kitchen to get dinner started.

"I wonder what's taking Mr. Feeny so long at school? He's usually here by now," I wondered, organizing the table for three people. Maya pointed behind me and I turned around to look outside our kitchen window. Mr. Feeny, Mr. Turner and Mr. Matthews stood next to the picket fence. Maya and I exchanged looks. "What could they be talking about?"

"I dunno, but it doesn't seem to be very good. Maybe we should go over there and see?"

Normally I wouldn't agree to eavesdropping, but the curiosity was getting the better of me. Maybe that was also part of becoming a 'woman'.

I was about to say yes when I remembered something. "Wait, how are we supposed to get passed Mr. Feeny? He wouldn't just let us go over there uninvited."

Maya smirked daringly. "Follow me."

* * *

"Let's go!" Maya said, urging me through our bedroom window. I managed to climb down Mr. Feeny's old tree and settle myself on his backyard. Maya followed behind me, she was capable of climbing down the tree way fast than I did because of her upper body strength. I had the upper body strength of a marshmallow...

"Why did I agree to this again?" I asked worriedly, afraid that after the adults had evacuated the backyard, someone would come back outside and find us trying to sneak up to Cory's window.

"Because ya love me," Maya said, attempting to be sweet. "Now let's do this or your whining because I made you climb down the tree was all for nothing."

Maya pushed me up to climb Cory's window. I held on to the ledge of the window for dear life, losing my balance before falling into Cory's room and yelped. I looked up to see Cory sitting on his chair and Shawn sitting on Cory's bed as they tossed a yellow ball back and forth to each other.

Once I hit the ground, Cory turned to see me lying on his floor, and since he was distracted by me, Shawn threw the ball and it ended up hitting me in the head.

"Ow!" I yelped again. I took the ball and threw it back at Shawn. "I think you're looking for this."

"Sorry," Shawn apologized sheepishly. "What's up Riley?"

"We just came to see if you were alright."

"Who's _we_?" Cory asked, and as if on cue, Maya came through the window. "Sup losers," she greeted, and Shawn accidentally threw the ball, and just like it happened to me, it bounced off her head. Maya glared at Shawn, but then smiled at him sweetly.

"Why are you smiling at me so pretty?" Shawn asked, nervously stepping back as far as possible from dangerous Maya.

"Because I want the last thing you ever see to be nice," she explained, about to charge toward Shawn before Cory and I stopped her. We settled her gently on the bed to calm down.

"What happened with your dad?" I asked Shawn.

"He's out finding my mom right now. I'm staying over at a motel. Hey, you guys should come over tonight," Shawn offered excitedly. "We could skateboard in the pool and they've got cable."

"_We've_ got cable," Cory pointed out.

"Not like this place," Shawn responded back, slyly smirking.

Before I could wrap my head around the concept, Cory fired back with, "you can't just live in a motel."

"Why not? At least you know it's not gonna drive away."

"Listen, you know you could have crashed here last night."

"What happened last night?" I asked worriedly.

Shawn sighed. "I went over to Mr. Turner's while he was having Mrs. Tompkins over and I sorta crashed their date. Then I ate their dinner and crashed on his couch-"

Maya interrupted Shawn's story. "Whoa, let me get this straight here Hunter. So you went over to Turner's house, interrupted his date with Tompkins, ate their dinner and Turner still let you crash in his apartment?"

"That's right," Shawn stated cockily. "Do you love me now?"

Maya chuckled. "Nice try."

Cory sighed. "Look Shawn, I'm just looking out for you. You know you can stay here anytime you need to."

"I know that," Shawn said.

"You sure?" Cory asked, not fully convinced that he was.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

From downstairs, we could hear a man's voice call out to Shawn. "Hey, Shawn, come on down, son!"

A grin appeared on Shawn's face once he recognized who was calling him."See? My dad's back and everything's great." He hopped off the bed and hurried downstairs, Cory followed close behind him.

I looked at Maya worriedly.

"Maya?"

"Mmh?"

"What do you think is going to happen?"

"Not good things, chump."

* * *

We had followed Cory and Shawn downstairs, and we heard everything that was said. Mr. Hunter had found Shawn's mom, but she still refused to come home with him. Shawn would now be staying with the Matthews' while Mr. Hunter went after his wife. Shawn didn't look nearly as excited about this news as Cory did. All that Cory took from this was that his best friend would become his roommate for an indefinite amount of time.

Maya and I headed back over to our house. At first we wondered why we couldn't find Mr. Feeny in the kitchen cooking dinner as we would usually find him. Then we found it kind of odd how we couldn't find him in the living room reading a book. So we came to the conclusion that perhaps Mr. Feeny had went grocery shopping and would be back soon. But the fact that he didn't even leave a note on the refrigerator door informing us he would be out troubled me in the back of my head _until_ we went upstairs and walked into our room. How wrong had it been for us to assume the best. What we saw before us was one of the most shocking things that I had ever seen.

Mr. Feeny was sitting on Maya's bed. Our photo album from the future in his hands. He was _looking _at our photo album! I looked over to see that Maya's shocked expression matched mine. We had left the photo album lying on Maya's bed before we had decided to sneak into the Matthews' house. Now it was out.

Mr. Feeny turned to see us standing at our doorway. He immediately closed the album. Tears started welling up in my eyes.

Other than ourselves, Nurse Millar had been the only one that knew about us. Now Mr. Feeny knew too...

* * *

**Author's Note: Ooooh cliffhanger! Didn't expect that, did ya? ;) Feeny knows! FEENY KNOWS! Yes, now he knows! Lol, and now Riley has experienced 'the change'! See how different her reaction was compared to Maya's? ;)**

**So remember to check out my YouTube channel where you will see my video for this chapter. The links for my Tumblr Blog Q&amp;A and comic strip are in the description box! Next week's chapter is the last one for season 2! I feel like it's been going on for forever, and I'm probably right about that lol. Bittersweet moments. Maya's POV is EXTREMELY important next week! Lots more stuff happening in season 3, and I'm PUMPED to share it all with you guys! See you guys in my next chapter! :) Don't forget to watch Girl Meets the Forgiveness Project THIS Friday! Maya's dad will be there!**

**P.S- It's my birthday this Wednesday! :O**

**Love you guys! :)**

**-Mimi1239**


	39. Different Worlds

**Hey guys! I apologize for not being able to post last week. I was super busy with homework, searching up Universities to go to next year and celebrating my birthday. I hope you all understand. Thank you for the kind birthday messages, I read all of them and they were all so sweet! :) I made a birthday video for you guys, and you can find it on my YouTube channel (Mimi1239 Fanfiction Productions) in case you wanted to check that out. :)**

**The 'After Talk' video for this chapter has been uploaded to my channel (you can find the link in my bio) and in the description box you will find the links to the comic strip, Tumblr blog and Wattpad chapter for this chapter! :) I try to do everything to the best of my ability so I'd really appreciate it if you checked it out. :)**

**Chapter talk: Get ready for the next big step in Riley and Maya's life! Something happens that changes their friendship FOREVER! Yeah, it really does guys. ;) It has a lot to do with Feeny finding out about them. Maya goes through a lot of emotions in this chapter and it affects everybody as the chapter goes along. Enjoy!**

**I'd like to give a shout-out to those that reviewed my previous chapter: AliciaMae26, MissaLissa, gwen, MStar10, imarriedamoose, alexia, Guest, Stay Gold -Pebblemist, Giggles789, danifan3000, PinkDisney240, Hoalover716, JoySeph13, IpsNerdz, Glee Clue Rock 1251, CabbieLoverSAC22, joyfish98, RauraRydellingtonR5, JiaAnn, and Mrs Peeta Mellark 2.0.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

_The essential beauty of the night blue sky that hung above us could not be even remotely captured just by the simple snap of a picture._

Maya's Point of View

_**Friday, June 2nd, 1995, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 4:26 P.M**_

"Is there something we need to discuss, ladies?" Mr. Feeny asked, still holding the photo album in his hands. I looked over to see that a tear had rolled down Riley's cheek.

Being the hard-headed girl I was, I answered swiftly, "there isn't anything we need to discuss if you agree that you never saw that." I reached over and took the photo album from Feeny's hand.

"M-Maya, we need to tell him."

I turned to look at my best friend, who was now shaking. "Riley, he doesn't need to know everything." I was more upset at the fact that Mr. Feeny thought it would be okay to look into our photo album more than him finding out about us. "This just can't happen now," I said, storming out of the room.

* * *

Three weeks had passed and by then Riley thought it was a good idea to tell Mr. Feeny everything about us _without_ consulting me. I will admit I felt hurt that she did everything without talking to me about it first, but this was Riley we're talking about. When has she not meddled?

"And you told him everything?" I asked wanting to make sure.

"Yes!" she smiled optimistically.

I sighed frustrated. "You know I wish you could have told me you told Mr. Feeny about us. Now he'll look at us differently," I whined to Riley as we stood by our lockers getting our books out for homeroom.

"Why do you say that?" Riley asked naively, being the peppy and cheerful person she was. "I feel great. I feel free! Now we don't have to keep secrets from him. We can just be ourselves! Isn't that the best thing ever?"

I shrugged. "I don't know Riles. It's just something about him knowing we're not from around here. What if he sends us back to the orphanage?"

Riley gasped at my theory. "Maya, I'm shocked! This is Mr. Feeny we're talking about. He wouldn't do that to us."

"No adult in their right mind would want to keep two aliens in his house," I argued.

"Come on, we're _not _aliens!"

"But we don't belong here-" I was about to argue back when Riley motioned for me to stop. I turned around and was stunned (but more amused) by what I saw in front of me. Cory and Shawn dressed in identical bright yellow sweaters, so bright that it almost hurt my eyes!

I tried not to laugh as I asked, "what happened to you two? You look like you just came out of an audition for Bananas in Pajamas."

The boys only glared at us, but mostly Shawn since I could tell this was hurting his reputation more than it was for Cory. _Well, Cory always looks like a banana, _I reasoned. I looked at Riley, knowing she couldn't hold it in any longer either so we both simultaneously burst into a fit of laughter. _Where's a camera when you need one? _I wondered.

Cory pointed a finger at us accusingly. "Hey, my sister watches that show. Let's not make fun of it."

Shawn quickly moved up to me. "Maya, can I talk to you alone?" he asked, grabbing a hold of my arm. I looked up at him. By the serious look on his face I could tell he was not joking around, so I decided not to kill him for touching me.

"Uhh, yeah sure," I said, and he dragged me to the other side of the school, and sat me down on the bench in front of the window which Riley and I considered 'our bay window' during school hours. "What's your rush Hunter? We'll only be missing first period. What's up?"

Shawn pushed his hair back with stress. "Do you ever feel like Riley just crowds you? I mean I know she's your best friend, but do you ever feel like you want a break from her?"

I nodded. "Sometimes," I said, deciding to choose my words wisely. "It seems to be happening more then ever now, it's kind of scary. But this doesn't have to do with me, right? The Matthews have been crowding you too much?"

"Yeah!" he said.

"Why don't you just move in with Turner?" I asked suddenly, not even realizing what I had proposition until I said it out loud. But it made sense. Shawn had moved in with Turner after his dad left him with the Matthews, and he raised him like a son.

Shawn shook his head. "Turner doesn't want to live with a whiny brat like me."

"Well, you're not wrong about that," I joked, but when I saw the stern look on his face I realized now was probably not the time for joking.

"I'm serious, Maya."

"Then hang in there. You know they care about you, or they wouldn't have taken you in."

"They just want me to act and dress like Cory, to follow all of their rules, label everything that I touch like I'm some disease. I don't like looking like a banana!" he complained, a look of enlightenment suddenly filled his face, which didn't happen often. He ran over and reached for the pair of scissors a kid had in his hands. He raced back to me and showed me the pair of scissors like it was the greatest discovery he'd ever made.

"Yeah... so?" I asked, a little impatient and just wanted him to get to the point. He unzipped his banana-looking sweater and was left only in his plaid brown shirt and purple undershirt. He then started to snip the sleeves off of his sweater, cutting the sleeves unevenly. "Hold up, give me those," I demanded, irritated by the fact that the boy did not know how to cut clothes properly. I used to cut holes all the time with my washed out blue jeans, which my mom often did not approve of, but I still did it anyway.

Shawn held the scissors as high above me as he could so that I wouldn't be able to reach them. _Whoa, when did he get so tall?_

His lips curved into a cocky smirk when he noted I actually couldn't reach them. "If you were my girlfriend I'd let you fix my clothes as much as you wanted to."

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up and hand me those scissors Hunter before you regret it."

* * *

After helping Shawn restore his 'preference of fashion' by cutting off the sleeves of his banana sweater (perfectly even, might I add), I decided that I would talk to Riley and Feeny about a plan that I'd been formulating in my head for the last three weeks. In my head, it was a well-thought out plan, and something that we'd never thought of trying before.

I dragged Riley into Feeny's office so that I could tell them both about what I'd come up with.

"We go to New York City and stay there until September 13th, the day Riley and I arrived from the future. We go to the abandoned warehouse if it's still there, and wait to see what happens," I finished, clasping my hands together. I was quite satisfied by what I'd been able to come up with.

I could tell Riley and Feeny didn't like my plan just by the exchanges they were giving each other.

"Maya," Riley started hesitantly. "I don't think that'll work."

"Why not? I asked defensively.

"For one thing Miss Hart," Mr. Feeny began, "as principal, this school is my responsibility. I cannot simply cast it away to take a vacation for three months."

I nodded, trying to compromise with them. "Alright, I get it. Riley and I will just go to New York then. No big deal."

Mr. Feeny immediately shook his head. "Miss Hart, New York City is a dangerous city and I cannot risk your safety. I'm sorry, but perhaps we can discuss another solution at another date."

"Mr. Feeny, Riley and I are _from _New York City. We've walked with each other by ourselves at night and nothing bad has ever happened to us!"

Riley looked at me like if I was certifiable. "Maya, it's a _huge _deal. We can't go to New York by ourselves. We don't even know how to drive."

I raised an eyebrow. "So? I'll be able to drive in less than two years and soon so will you. We shouldn't stay here any longer, Riley, and you know that."

"What if this is the universe telling us we should stay?"

I scoffed. "What universe? The same universe that ripped us away from our friends and families? The same universe that married my dad with another woman other than my mom? The same universe that send my mom off to California..." I paused, realizing the content I was blurting out.

An awkward silence arose among us.

"Maybe we should discuss this later, ladies," Mr. Feeny suggested, taking off his glasses to clean them.

I couldn't stand to stay there any longer so I stormed out of his office with Riley calling my name behind me.

* * *

I sat on the windowsill of our bedroom window. A pencil and paper in hand to draw the night sky after dinner. That was all I needed. I hadn't touched the piano keys in two months, and I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to be Maya Hart, the artist. Not Maya Hart, the pianist. I wanted to go back to my old roots. I wanted everything to be the same between Riley and I. When we were kids of the future. Not the nineties. Now was the old me better than the me I'd become during my time in the past? I'd find out pretty quickly.

Riley came up behind me and covered my eyes with her hands, interrupting my deep thought state.

"Whatcha doin'?" she asked, taking her hands off my eyes and sitting next to me on the windowsill. "I haven't seen you draw since-"

"Since we were home. I know," I said, finishing the sentence for her.

Riley paused. "Maya, you know it isn't practical. What if nothing happens? We'd be wasting time instead of being at school."

"You really care about your grades in this place? Tell me, where has Feeny suggested you go to university?"

"Harvard," she responded. "It's not a bad idea. With the grades I'm getting, I think I can do it."

Mentally I shook my head. Not because I didn't believe Riley couldn't make it to Harvard. She was Riley Matthews, daughter of Cory and Topanga, of course she could do anything. But how could she just forget about our past lives so quickly? Did it not matter to her who we'd be leaving behind?

I turned back to my art. A dog had been howling while I was drawing the sky. The dog, I imagined, howled because he was free. Not a friend in the world but I knew he would be okay on his own. The essential beauty of the night blue sky that hung above us could not be even remotely captured just by the simple snap of a picture. So that's what I drew.

Riley leaned down to look at my picture curiously. "I know this is gonna sound stupid, but is that the sky? Or the face of a dog?"

I looked down at my own drawing and saw what she'd meant. I drew the sky for sure. It was filled with stars and what I'd later learn as the waxing crescent of the moon, but at the same time I'd made the stars shape into a dog's face. The nose, the eyes, the mouth, the ears... it was all there. How could I have not seen it before?

I chuckled internally. "It's both. It's an optical illusion, Riles. I'm surprised you can see both the sky and the dog. Most people would only be able to see the sky."

"Well, the dog looks awful lonely by himself there," she answered.

I sighed. Maybe it did. I looked down from the sky I'd been drawing, and saw a figure climbing out from the Matthews' window right across from us. Only moments later did it hit me that the figure was Shawn.

"What is he doing now?" I groaned, settling my art utensils on my desk before stepping on the window instinctively.

"Maya, what are you gonna do?" Riley asked behind me worriedly.

"I have to see where Shawn's going. I think he's running away," I said.

"Will you be back soon?"

"I promise," I said, and I wasted no more time by climbing down Feeny's tree and settling myself on the ground. By that time Shawn was already on the ground too and was surprised to see me.

"Maya?"

"Shawn, where the heck do you think you're going?" I asked, slightly angry. I didn't want him out doing anything stupid.

"I'm just gonna take myself out for a walk," he responded wittily.

My frown broke into a smirked. "Nice try." I looked up at our window to see Riley was looking down at us concernedly. I turned back to Shawn and said without thinking thoroughly, "what are we waiting for?"

* * *

Shawn and I managed to sneak out of the neighborhood at nine o'clock at night. It'd been the latest that I'd ever been out in a long time. Probably since I was back home when my mom wouldn't care what time I came home since I didn't have a curfew and she would sometimes stay at the Night Hawk Diner until three in the morning.

"I think what I miss most about the trailer park are the road noises I hear when I'm sleeping," Shawn confessed as we walked along the night.

"The road noises?" I asked, confused by his thought.

"Yeah, they help me sleep at night. I don't hear roadkill or angry bearded men shouting at each other when I'm sleeping in Cory's room."

I raised an eyebrow. "And for some reason I'm not surprised to hear that, Hunter," I said honestly.

"Why do you call me that?" Shawn asked, stopping abruptly in his tracks, which made me follow suit.

"Call you what?" I asked, not understanding his question.

"Why do you call me Hunter and not Shawn?"

I shrugged, thinking back to the person I used to give nicknames to. _Huckleberry._ "I dunno. I always give people nicknames, it's just a lot more fun to make fun of them that way."

"Can I call you short-stack?" A memory of when Huckleberry called me a short-stack of pancakes came flashing into my mind when Shawn repeated those words.

I smirked. "That name is already taken."

"By who? Your boyfriend back in New York?"

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Who ever said I had a boyfriend? No, he was just... someone Riley was very fond of. Why don't we stick to me calling you Hunter?"

"As long as you admit that you love me," Shawn slipped in. I punched Shawn on the shoulder and he grabbed it jokingly in pain.

We continued our walk until we reached the opening of an abandoned alleyway. At least we thought it was an abandoned alley until we noticed that a group of teens were spray painting at the end of the alley.

Instead of leaving like we should have done, and pretend like we didn't see anything (which was not like us at all), we entered the alley and got near to the destruction the gang of teens were creating. From afar I could see that they had been spray painting a mural of a skull with blood and gory stuff surrounding the skull. Much different from what I thought was art for sure.

It was only until I heard, "Hey Harvey, hand me that red spray can over there, I wanna give my art some bloody eyes," from a strong female voice that I realized this was Harley and his thug's gang, along with T.K., that were vandalizing the alley walls.

I glared up at Harley when our eyes connected.

"Lookie here, the misfits of the seventh grade are here watching us do grown up stuff," Harley taunted.

Shawn tugged my arm. "Maya, let's get outta here," he pleaded. "You don't wanna mess with Harley."

I unhooked my arm from Shawn's grasp. "This is much of our right to be here as it is to them."

"Why don't ya listen to yer boyfriend Hart? Scram," Harley spat and his thugs mocked us by making kissing noises.

T.K. got in front of her brother. "Leave 'em alone Harvey, they're cool."

Harley rolled his eyes at his little sister. "How many times have I told you not to call me Harvey in front of shrimps?"

"Hey, it's not my fault ma' was drunk when she signed your birth certificate," T.K. defended, crossing her arms over her chest.

"How do ya know they ain't gonna squawk on us?" Joey asked, pointing at us like we were filth.

T.K. glanced over at us, sizing us up. "I know 'em well. Hart is my friend." T.K. mouthed specifically to me, _Yer not gonna tell, right?_

I had a choice then. Three options to choose from actually. Walk away like Shawn had wanted us to do and pretend like we didn't see anything. Call the cops and have them all arrested for vandalizing city property. Or... join them. Guess which option I chose?

I took off the black leather jacket I had on and dropped it on the ground. I was tired of being some image Feeny wanted me to be. This was what I was meant to do. I extended my hand out, "hand me one of those spray cans."

* * *

It took only a second of convincing before I had Shawn helping us finish the art work the thugs started before we arrived. I spent time talking to T.K. while we worked on the master piece. Turns out we had a lot in common. Our fathers left us for other women, we hated school, and most importantly, we loved art.

I was having such a good time with our task (and I could tell so was Shawn) that I'd even lost track of the time that I'd promised Riley I'd have Shawn back home by. But it was so much fun being out late at night doing something unlawful. It was exciting.

And Harley even complimented me.

"Not bad Hart," he said nodding his head, a look of impress on his face when he saw my drawing of a flock of ballerinas kicking a little blonde girl with their pointy toes and stabbing her face with their bun heads."Ya seem to have an eye for quality. We could use someone like ya on our gang," Harley propositioned.

How could I respond to this offer? It would mean I would be just like them. The lowlifes of the school. Before I could utter a single word of acceptance, a police siren sounded in the distance. Hastily, Harley, his thugs and T.K. hunched to the ground so that the cops wouldn't see them. Then Harley and his gang made a run for it. I grabbed Shawn by the arm and began to drag him, trying to catch up to the others. Until I managed to trip over my own two feet, twist and fall on my ankle. _Nice going, Hart. I am screwed._

I fell to the ground and cried out in pain. Shawn stopped when he heard my cries and without hesitation ran over to help me up. T.K. came back too to see if I was alright. They both helped me up and I hooked my arms on their shoulders as they attempted to carry me. But we could hear the cops near by then.

"Come on, Hart!" T.K. urged desperately, clearly afraid that this time the cops would catch on to her. "Try to walk!"

"I can't!" I said, unhooking my arm from T.K.'s shoulder. "Go on without us, or your brother will blame me for getting you arrested. Go, now!" I demanded.

T.K. nodded, a look of thankfulness showed on her face. "Thanks Hart," she said before running up to catch up with her brother and his thugs who were already three blocks ahead of us.

I turned to look at Shawn, and was about to tell him that he should probably leave me behind too. Without warning he bend down to lift me up and carried me bridal-style. I gasped, not expecting him to do that.

"What are you doing?!" I yelled over the sirens that were nearer and nearer by the second.

"Saving you!" he yelled back, and he began to run carrying me in his arms. _When did he get so strong anyway?_

We advanced a few blocks further, entering another alleyway, before we reached a dead-end. The tall brick wall stood before us.

I slapped Shawn on the arm. "Go back!" I instructed, and he turned us around. A flashlight flashed on our exhausted-looking faces. I shield my eyes with the back of my hand as the cop advanced toward us. _Busted._

* * *

We were forced into the police car. No handcuffs, but they locked the backseat doors so that we wouldn't even try to make a fun for it.

I looked down at my hands awkwardly. "Shawn?" I said, interrupting the silence that was among us.

Shawn turned to look at me with wide eyes. "You said my name?"

I shrugged like it was not a big thing. "It's not like this is the first time I have. Thanks for saving me."

"You should twist your ankle more often," he said, trying to be sooth. _Was that his way of flirting with me?_

The smile on my face dropped. "And now the moment's gone. It was nice while it lasted. Let's promise each other one thing."

"What's that?"

"We'll never try to run away again." I extended my hand, expecting Shawn to do the same, but he didn't.

Instead he gave me a devil-ish smirk. "Let's make-out on it?"

"You're impossible." I sighed, crossing my hands over my arms and stared at the back of the head of the cop that drove us to justice...

* * *

We had lied to the cop and told him that we were staying over our teacher's house for the weekend. Turner's. We posed as brother and sister. Shawn omitted my last name before I could do his.

"Maya Hunter has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" he whispered in my ear as he carried me bridal-style to Turner's apartment doorstep. The cop walked in front of us.

I glared daggers at my carrier. "If only my ankle wasn't throbbing already I would kick you where the sun don't shine," I threatened.

"Okay then," Shawn said clearing his throat, looking very afraid by my reaction.

Since Shawn had his hands 'occupied', the cop knocked on Turner's door for us and stepped aside.

I wrapped my arms tightly around Shawn's neck in case he'd wimp out and drop me. I regretted it afterward because of the lovey-dovey looks Shawn was giving me after I did.

Turner opened the door. Just by one glance at us he groaned. "Look guys, I don't have time for this right now."

I looked behind him to see Miss Tompkins sitting on his couch looking upset.

"You're telling me," Shawn answered, and as if on cue the cop next to us stepped in front of us. Turner's eyes widened as wide as dinner plates.

"He's a cop," I said, smiling nervously, trying to lighten up the awkward atmosphere. Turner glared at me. _Guess it's not the time to be joking around._

"I'm sorry to have to disturb your home. You Jonathan Turner? You know these kids?" the cop asked our distressed-looking teacher.

"Yeah, Shawn Hunter and Maya Hart," Turner responded. "I'm their teacher at John Adams High."

"Hart?" the cop questioned. "Those two told me here they were both Hunters."

I scoffed. "Did we? I meant we're _step _siblings. His dad married my mom." Suddenly I had a disturbed image in my head of that actually happening.

Turner shook his head at us, disappointed. "Officer, you wanna tell me what this is all about?"

"We spotted your students here loitering outside the high school with some older kids. They had about 20 of these," the cop said, holding up my can of spray paint.

Turner's jaw dropped. "Spray paint?"

"Looks like they were planning to do some redecorating," the cop inquired.

Shawn shook his head. "No, no, no. We were just gonna sell them to some bad kids."

"And overcharge them," I added. "Serves them right."

The cop ignored us. "They both take off down the alley. The lil' girl twists her ankle, and we catch them at a dead-end of the alley. I drove them here, they says they're staying with you."

Shawn and I looked at Turner pleadingly. If he denied us, we would have to confront the Matthews and Feeny, which was a billion times worse.

Turner sighed, giving in. "Yeah, yeah, they're staying with me. His folks are out of town. Look, officer, I'm sorry. I thought they were in their rooms."

The cop shook his head. "If you wanna do your students a favor, keep them in the house." He tipped his hat to Miss Tompkins respectfully. "Sorry to bother you, Mrs.  
Turner." And then left. Turner closed the door.

"Mrs. Turner?" Shawn asked slyly, setting me on the couch gently. "Hey, congratulations."

I rolled my eyes.

Miss Tompkins smiled uncomfortably, getting up from the couch. "No, Shawn, it's still Miss Tompkins." She walked to the door and Turner opened it for her. Shawn sat on the arm rest of the couch next to me. We both watched Turner's and Tompkin's departure from each other.

"Good night, Kat." Turner said his farewell sadly.

"Good luck, Jonathan," Miss Tompkins replied, also sad, and walked out the door.

Shawn got up from the arm rest. "Thanks for covering for us," he said to Turner gratefully, but I knew better than to say anything to Turner at his current state of emotion.

"Shawn-" I warned.

Shawn persisted. "...Cory's folks would've freaked if we showed up with that cop."

"Oh, like this? Would they have yelled at you like this?" Turner said, yelling at us.

Shawn smiled. "Yeah, that's pretty good."

I slapped my hand over my forehead.

"Would they have told you how stupid you are for being out so late?" Turner argued.

Shawn's smile dropped. "Okay, I get your point."

"No, I don't think you do!"

"Fine, then we'll just get out of your way. I thought you were cooler than that," Shawn said, about to pick me up from the couch until Turner started talking again.

"No, no, I'm not cool at all. In fact, I get real old-fashioned when I see somebody that I care about being brought home by cops!"

I sighed, feeling my heart heavy.

Shawn closed his eyes. "Mr. Turner, do you have to yell? I've had a really rotten night."

"Oh, do you see me ballroom-dancing here?" Turner asked, ballroom dancing a little to show for his sarcasm.

Shawn rolled his eyes. "Look, is this gonna take all night? 'Cause we've got places to be, man," he said, referring to us both.

Turner was starting to look really frustrated. "Hunter, you keep heading down this life track you're on, then the places you're going aren't any places you're gonna wanna be, man."

Shawn sat down next to me, needing to rest. "Look, I'm sorry I messed up your night."

Turner sat down next to us. "I already messed it up before you got here," he confessed miserably.

Shawn scoffed. "Yeah, women."

Turner raised an eyebrow at his 'pal'. "What do you know about women?"

Shawn shrugged at me. "Why don't you ask Maya what I know?"

"Trust me, he doesn't know women," I answered flatly.

"You think you can help me out, Hunter?" Turner asked, hope showing evidently in his voice.

The boy smiled. "Hey, you helped me."

"Now, see, why can't you be this sharp in my class?"

Shawn shrugged. "Math's not my best subject."

Turner looked dismayed at his student. "I'm your English teacher."

"Then why are you teaching math?"

"Are you kidding me?"

* * *

We agreed that I would sleep in Turner's room for the night while Shawn and Turner fought over the couch and the floor. The next day was Saturday, and it was time to go back to Feeny and face the music. No pun intended.

Turner dropped me off at the front door of Feeny's house. I took a deep breath before knocking on the door. The door swung open moments later and Mr. Feeny stood on the other side. And let me just say, he did not look happy.

"Hi sir," I said, hurrying inside, about to go upstairs but stopped halfway to the stairs.

"Miss Hart, I must speak with you this instant!" Mr. Feeny said, raising his voice, which he normally didn't do unless it was something serious.

I bit my lip and turned around to face my foster parent. "Why do we have to talk Mr. Feeny? It was no big deal. Shawn and I were just goofing off. It's something that us kids growing up in the lower class would do that you wouldn't understand."

Feeny crossed his arms over his chest. "Care to enlighten me?"

"I grew up and spent most of my time in subway stations, or I would go to the Matthews' place. I never had a grand piano which I could practice all of my time on or a master bedroom. I was lucky enough if I had water running in the shower."

"Miss Hart, you are my foster child and I do not want you associating with that type of group. Do I make myself clear?"

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Mr. Feeny, with all due respect, you can' tell me what to do. I'll choose who I want to hang out with. This is the type of group I grew up with. This is where I belong. I belong living in the streets of New York City, with the clothes on my back, lungs to breathe, and a can of spray paint in my hand."

"Miss Hart, don't dare bring this topic up for discussion once again. We've already established that this will never happen."

"Why not? Riley's probably going to Harvard. With my marks, I'll be lucky if I get enough food to last me a whole week at some homeless shelter. Because that's exactly where I'm going to end up. I'm going to end up being an illegal street artist and there is nothing in the whole world that you or I can do about it."

"Miss Hart-"

"No sir! You can't tell me what to do. You are NOT my father. Riley and I have been living with you for more than a year and you still haven't signed the legal guardian papers, and I know why. You don't want to keep us and you're afraid to let us go back to the orphanage. But I'll make things easier on all of us." I stormed upstairs before Mr. Feeny could protest. I slammed the door shut and found Riley sitting on her bed with the photo album in her lap. She looked up at me with disappointment.

"How could you get chased by the cops? I thought we were better than that."

"We are not the same Riley Matthews! Feeny thinks he can control me but he can't! I'm not the perfect girl like you are. We don't live in the same world."

Riley's jaw dropped. She began to tear up. "How can... how can you say something like that Maya? We are growing up in this world together. It's always been you and me and it's gonna be you and me forever."

"You don't understand Riles-"

"I am so tired of hearing that I don't understand! What's so complicated that I can't understand?!"

"Remember that dog we heard howling- I don't want to do this right now."

"I don't think you should be hanging out with those thugs."

"Don't insult my friends Riley Matthews!"

Riley paused. "Your friends? I thought I was your best friend." Riley paused again to think. "Are we really that different?" she asked, her voice starting to break.

I shrugged. "I don't know, but Shawn and T.K understand-"

"So just because I as raised by two parents-"

"You were raised by Cory and Topanga-"

"So? That means I can't be there for you? Fine, go be with Shawn and T.K, Maya."

"Riley-"

"Go Maya!" she cried. "Go and wreck something. But that is _not _who you are. I know exactly who you are. You are my best friend. My sister."

"If you were my sister you wouldn't have ratted me out to Feeny. Then we wouldn't be in this mess."

"So you're saying this is my fault? Maya, you and Shawn both got yourselves into this mess. I'm tired of covering for you all the time."

"We are not getting anywhere here. The longer we stay here, the harder it will be when we have to leave. Don't you see that, Riles? It's the hard truth. And nothing that you do can ever change that. I want to know answers. I want to know how we got here." I snatched the photo album from Riley's lap.

"Maya, you can't take that!" Riley grabbed one end of the book and in some weird way we sort of started playing tug of war with it. But this wasn't a game. Surprisingly, Riley's determination was winning the battle, so I had no choice but to let my fingers slip through the book and because Riley was pulling so hard, she fell backward flat on her butt with a soft thud, the photo album landing in her lap. She gave me the most ugliest glare I had ever seen anyone give as tears started streaming down her face. _Did I really just hurt my plant? I was now the bulldozer. Oh my god._

I grabbed my backpack and climbed through the window. My ankle still sore from the previous night, but given that my will was stronger, I managed to climb down Feeny's tree as I had done many times before, not knowing that it could potentially be the last time I would ever do so. I landed on my one good foot. Turner and Shawn were standing on the Matthews' side of the picket fence, staring at me.

"That was so cool, Maya," Shawn said. I shrugged.

"Is something going on Maya?" Turner asked me, noticing the painful look in my eyes.

But I decided I might as well keep my guard up. "Nothing is going on," I insisted. "But if Feeny asks, I was never here."

Turner jumped over the fence and proceeded to block my path. "Hold up, don't tell me you're trying to run away too."

I gave my teacher a venomous glare. "So what if I am? Who's gonna stop me?"

"I am," Shawn answered, and it surprised me when only a mere twelve hours ago he had talked about running away too.

"Get out of my way. You don't know me Hunter."

"Oh, so we're officially on a last name basis again, huh? I wonder who was that girl who told me we were exactly alike. I hope you can tell me where she is, because you are definitely not her."

"Ha, very funny. But I don't need to hear the vandalism speech, I already got that from Feeny."

Shawn paused. "Wait, are you running away or is Feeny kicking you out?"

"What's the difference? I am still leaving."

Turner let out a deep sigh, but then his lips curved into a smirk. "This is just my luck."

I put my hands on my hips. "Well I'm sorry to rain on your parade Mr. Turner, but what are you talking about?"

"I can't let you run away Maya. Ya see, if the school found out I let one of my students run away, I look bad."

I wanted to crack a smile but I quickly decided against it. "Again, ha. Maybe you two should do a ventriloquist together sometime. You can take turns being the dummie," I fired back, stepping around Mr. Turner and started making my way out of Feeny's garden.

"So you're really leaving?" I heard Turner asked behind me.

"Yep," I said, popping out the 'p' for emphasis.

"Where are you headed?" he asked.

"The Big Apple," I replied.

"You know New York City is a big place. Think they'll have enough room for you there?"

I smirked at Turner's question, knowing very well what New York City was like since I was born and raised there.

"I think they'll be able to spare me something. I don't ask for much but a home."

Then I heard Turner say the utmost shocking thing he could have ever said to me right then.

"Why don't I give you a home?"

It'd always been Shawn that Turner saved. Not me. I was about to change history.

For once in a long time, I was completely speechless.

"We just sealed the deal with the Matthews and Shawn's moving in with me until his dad gets back. Look, if you're not happy living with Mr. Feeny, I could talk to him and we could work something out, okay?"

I nodded understanding. Riley wouldn't have me anymore as a bad influence. Maybe that was for the better. Finally then I was able to break down. I clung onto Turner and balled my eyes out.

* * *

Two weeks later everything was set. My ankle was healed, and I would now be moving in with Turner and Shawn. I took the last of my boxes from my room, which would now only be Riley's room and went downstairs to where Riley and Feeny were waiting with the rest of my stuff.

"I guess that's it," I announced, smiling awkwardly. We'd agreed that the photo album would stay in Riley's drawer just like it'd always been. Everything was forgiven between us. The argument, the hurtful things that were said. None of it would affect our friendship, but that didn't mean I didn't have to leave.

Mr. Feeny took my box from me. I grabbed his hand to get him to look into my sincere eyes.

"Look, sir... Mr. Feeny, thank you for taking us in. I'm sorry for all of the disturbance that I've done to your home."

Mr. Feeny shook his head. "Nonsense Miss Hart. You have never been a disturbance. I was a teenager once too, and I understand your want to explore. You've always been free to leave as you wish," he responded, taking a hold of my box and carrying it outside to his car. Despite what he had just said, I knew deep down inside he did not approve of me leaving, but he couldn't keep me trapped in his safety forever.

I rested my hands in my jean's back pockets. I rocked myself on the balls of my heels.

"Any last words, Riley?" I asked, not expecting Riley to throw her arms around me in a tight hug.

"I'll always be here for you, Maya," she whispered in my ear soothingly. "I just wish you'd tell me what's going on. What's bothering you?"

I tried to chuckle, my voice breaking in the process. I fought the tears from rolling down my face. "I-I don't know, Riles. Next year we'll be in a different grade and..."

"Maya, we're always changing grades."

"This change just seems different. But this change, the one I'm going through by moving in with Turner and Shawn, it just feels right, you know?"

We let go from each other.

"Y-Yeah, I know peaches."

* * *

Another summer in the past. Now this one was quite different. I was a year older, and Riley was no longer the first person I would wake up every morning to see. Now it would be Shawn and Mr. Turner.

"So about these sleeping arrangements..." Shawn began, and I could tell where he was going with this. "Why don't Maya and I take your bed, and you can sleep on the couch?"

Turner smirked, amused by Shawn's hormones. "I don't think so buddy. I ordered one of those pull-out beds for me to sleep but for now, Maya will take my room and we'll both sleep on the blow up mattress."

"Yeah, and about this bathroom business," I started. "_Nobody _can use it from seven to seven thirty. And if you don't knock, I will kill you," I said, looking directly at Shawn, knowing he would be the problem for the bathroom for me.

"Will do ma'am," he mocked.

"Come on Shawn," Turner said, pushing Shawn up the stairs.

Before he made it all the way up, I took out a CD from my back pocket. "Hey Hunter, think fast," I said, throwing him the CD. He caught it swiftly and opened up the cover curiously.

"Sounds of the Trailer Park?" he asked, reading the title.

I nodded. "Yeah, so you can feel safe listening to roadkill while you sleep."

I received a thankful smile from Shawn. He disappeared upstairs and Turner soon followed. I looked around Turner's apartment filled with boxes, and sighed happily. I accidentally back up into a stack of papers, which, by the force of gravity, fell to the floor. I bend down to pick up each paper one by one, until I encountered a heart shaped letter. The curiosity got the better of me and right as I was about to open the letter, Turner called out, "Maya, where do you want your boxes settled?"

I sighed, having to postpone my curiosity and put the letter in my back pocket.

"Coming!"

* * *

_To whom it concerns,_

_I know it's been a while. A lot has definitely changed. The good thing that came out of all this is that Riley and I are still friends. But that doesn't mean things can be the same forever. Maybe one day Riley will understand what this means... and hopefully by then we will be back home. Is hope still for suckers? I guess now I'm a sucker._

I put down my pen and journal and rolled over on my side to rest, closing my eyes shut tightly to forget about all that was currently happening. Everything was up in the air. _Anything can happen now_, I thought. And it would remain so for as long as we were here...

* * *

**Author's Note: And that's a wrap for season 2! What did you guys think? As always, tell me in a review! What are your hopes for season 3? What would you like to see happen? I love hearing your thoughts and suggestions guys! So don't forget to suggest something before you close this story! I was also wondering if you guys remember how you found this story? Did someone tell you about it or did you just happen to discover it while searching for GMW fanfics? :) I wanna hear your stories guys! :)**

**Now, the moment you've all been waiting for! A shout-out to my Loyalist Reviews goes to AliciaMae26! She is the only user that has reviewed every single one of my chapters! Crazy right? But it shows how dedicated she is, and I love her for that! :) She was also the person to win my Spoilers Contest a few months ago! Now for the 'Did You Know?' segment I promised ya'll! ;)**

**Did You Know?**

**1\. I don't remember if I told you guys this but Ricky's name was inspired by the character 'Ricky Ricardo' from the show 'I Love Lucy'. I love that show so much! :)**

**2\. The chapter 'Fourteen Minutes in Heaven' was originally called 'Four Minutes in Heaven'.**

**3\. It took me from February 1st till November 15th of this year to complete season 2. A lot longer than it took me to complete season 1 for sure.**

**4\. I was not going to have any Shaya kisses this season but I know you guys wanted it really badly so I did. :)**

**5\. I've had this chapter planned since March lol.**

**6\. I knew that Riley and Ricky would be endgame this season since I introduced him in chapter 3.**

**7\. Songs that Maya has played are very dear to me. Para Elisa, Endless Love and At This Moment. :)**

**8\. Average reviews is 28.2 reviews each chapter! :O If you go back to chapter 19, you'll notice how far I've come. :)**

**That's all I could come up with for this week guys! :) I don't know if I'll be able to update next Sunday because I'll be extremely busy with homework (I can already predict the all-nighters I'm gonna have to pull, ugh) but we'll see. :)**

**Remember to check my After Talk for this chapter on YouTube (you can find the link to that on my bio) and in the description of the video you'll also find the Tumblr Q&amp;A blog and comic strip for this chapter! :) Till season 3 guys!**

**I love you all!**

**-Mimi1239**


	40. The Switch-Up Game

**Welcome to season 3! Hello again my friends! :) Yeah that's right, I consider you guys my FRIENDS. We've just reached 200k words, which if I'm not mistaken, this means this is the longest story in the GMW archive thus far. We did it! Let's all sing and dance like Dora the Explorer now! (Yeah I'm weird). **

**Anyway, like I always say, keep reading 'cause the story just keeps getting better and better. The After Talk for this chapter will be on YouTube (my YouTube channel is: Mimi1239 Fanfiction Productions) soon, so check that out when it's out! :)**

**Chapter talk: I think this season is gonna be one of my favourites and you guys will probably be able to figure out why once it's over lol. New stuff happens, and it does start to get into mature topics, but nothing too mature yet so don't worry guys. I'll only be hitting topics that I think are important to discuss and I know you guys will be able to handle (it would be a great dishonor if I didn't think as highly of you as I do), because like the show, I am not one to shy away from serious topics. I know you guys always expect better from me, so this season it's about to get VERY real. Just you wait. ;)**

**As always, I'd like to give a shout-out to those who reviewed my previous chapter: Guest, Chrissykillby, AIR22, AliciaMae26, Giggles789, PinkDisney240, Mari101, Stay Gold -Pebblemist, Hoalover716, joyfish98, CabbieLoverSAC22, LoginOrSignUp, and JoySeph13.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

_I was left alone in the living room. What happens now?_

Riley's Point of View

**_Tuesday, September 5th, 1995, Philadelphia _**

**_Past time, 7:50 P.M_**

Summer was officially over. I had spent most of it reading good books and watching Mr. Feeny tend to his garden. He said a good gardener must know that he has to 'cultivate' his garden. In other words, to enrich it.

"Do you know who said that, Miss Matthews?" Mr. Feeny asked me one morning as he was planting some new seeds into the soil. This was just before school started.

"You did, sir?" I guessed, not having a clue at all. I rarely helped Mr. Feeny with his garden anymore. I had found out a long time ago that I had 'clutzphobia', a fear of being a clutz.

Mr. Feeny only grinned. "Perhaps we shall study some Voltaire once school commences, what do you say Miss Matthews?"

I smiled weakly. "Remind me not to tell Maya it was my idea. I wouldn't want to take all the credit for your brilliant plan."

_Maya_. Over the summer, I hadn't been able to see very much of her. She was often busy doing her usual. Nothing. _Maybe this change will do us some good. I can focus on keeping Mr. Feeny company and getting ready for college, and Maya can focus on herself and figuring out what she wants to do with her life. It was not like we would be back home anytime soon. _

It didn't sound like me at all to think I could make it without her. Or to be so pessimistic about the possibility of us ever returning back to our time. Maybe we'd both needed some growing up to do after all.

"As you wish Miss Matthews," Mr. Feeny promised. "Have you noticed anything distinct about my garden lately?"

I looked around, shaking my head once I couldn't find anything. Mr. Feeny pointed to the two pots behind him. It took me a moment to make the connection between the two plants and what Mr. Feeny was trying to tell me. Then I realized that they were both the geranium plants we'd had since last year.

"Both of the geranium plants are now the same height!" I said, probably getting way too excited over two plants. But to me, they meant much more than that.

Mr. Feeny nodded. "They grew into two beautiful adult geranium plants over the summer. It happens very seldom that the one would catch up to the other, but it gradually did."

I sighed happily as Mr. Feeny gave me a smile. "How about that?"

* * *

I took in a breathe of fresh air before I entered John Adams High for the first time since summer had started. I had my schedule in my hands, and didn't even need to read it to know that I would have both Mr. Turner as my homeroom English teacher and Mr. Feeny as my History teacher again. I smiled enthusiastically as I looked down to see that I was right. I even have the same locker as last year! Yes!

I was pushed aside by some kids as they ran up to crowd a figure that had long blonde hair. I was curious to see who this mystery girl was. Maybe she was the new girl? Maybe we could be friends? And have sleepovers? And talk about boys!

Okay, now I was just going overboard. Besides, I had Ricky.

I spotted Cory and Shawn at their lockers staring intensively at the crowd that surrounded the unknown girl. I walked toward them and tried to be on my tippy-toes to be able to see from their stature. When did the boys get so tall anyway?

After successfully failing to overlook the crowd that hounded the poor new girl, I decided to focus my attention back to the boys. Remembering the way we had greeted each other last year after not seeing each other for two months, I extended my arms, expecting us to group hug.

All I got was them talking more about the mysterious blonde girl.

"I thought I missed her over the summer, but I miss her even more in person," Cory trailed off, his puberty voice cracking every other word.

I quirked a eye questionably and settled my arms on my sides when I realized they weren't thinking about a group hug then.

"You've known her all your life," Shawn pointed out. "Just go up to her and say hi."

At this point I just wanted to know who they were referring to.

"Who are we looking at?" I asked the boys curiously. The boys turned to me and stared at me as if they'd just realize I was there.

Shawn rolled his eyes to Cory. "He's just nervous about talking to Topanga."

"Well, where is she?" I wondered, looking around the hallway until I came to the realization that the mystery girl everybody was crowded around was Topanga, my mom. "Oh, now that makes a lot of sense." I smiled sheepishly.

"Haven't changed much, have you Riley?" Shawn smirked.

"Must be all that time I've been spending in the garden," I reasoned. "So, how's Maya doing?"

"Haven't you seen her all summer?" Cory quirked his eyebrow, slightly forgetting about his nervousness.

I shook my head sadly. "Not really." _She's probably happier with them anyway_, I thought. "Is she here today, Shawn?"

He shrugged. "Last time I saw her, she left with T.K. this morning." Shawn turned his attention back to his nervous-wreck friend. "Are you ready now, Cor?"

Cory shook his head.

Shawn groaned impatiently. "Come on, Cor. We've been over and over and over this. Now, just walk up to her and ask her to go steady."

I felt my heart begin to race when Shawn said that. _Steady?! I was just about to witness my parents going steady! Oh, this day couldn't get any better._

Before Cory was about to start walking, I put my hand on his arm to stop him. "If it makes you feel any better Cory, you'll probably be the first guy to ask Topanga to go steady today. If you don't do it now, someone may just snatch her up. Oh, and no pressure."

My advice seemed to only make Cory look more nervous. If that was even possible at this point. _Note to self, don't say anything when your heart is just about to burst. _

Shawn scoffed. "Riley, don't say that to him. Look how freaked out he looks now. Come on Cor, nobody's gonna steal Topanga away from you. I promise you that."

His voice sounded sincere but his eyes told me otherwise. "You sure about that, Shawn?" For some reason, I just found the nerve to ask.

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure. In fact, Topanga's looking real hot, but I'm sure nobody's gonna try anything with her until lunch."

Cory glared at his best friend for his comment. "Thanks for the reassurance buddy." As if on cue, the people crowded around Topanga started parting their ways and Topanga was left standing there as an open target for Cory. When we noticed this, I saw Cory smiled weakly. "Alright, here I go," he announced.

"You go, Cory!" I cheered enthusiastically. But Cory didn't even move an inch.

Cory stood frozen in his spot as he asked, "am I moving yet?" I rolled my eyes, giving Cory a slight push from behind.

_Sometimes, you just need that from your future kid._

As if learning how to walk for the first time, Cory smiled to himself proudly as he began to walk over to Topanga confidently.

I smiled proudly at my father. Shawn opened up his locker in boredom and began changing his clothes nonchalantly. It was then that I first realized that Shawn had came to school wearing his Pj's and was just now changing into some normal clothes.

"Just a question. Why do you worry so much about Cory and Topanga getting together?" Shawn asked me as he finished putting on his green shirt.

I turned to look at my parents nervously interacting with one another. I peeled my eyes off of them for a second to answer. "Because they're Cory and Topanga together. You should probably know that more than anybody."

Shawn shrugged, closing his locker and leaning against it. "Yeah, we'll just see about that."

It made me feel uneasy the way he said that, but I decided to brush off his comment.

Cory came back seconds later with a pout-y look on his face.

"What did she say?" I asked worriedly.

"I didn't ask her. I couldn't. What just happened over there, Shawn? I mean, I'm talking with you fine, but over there with Topanga, I became a sea monkey."

Indifferently, Shawn shrugged his shoulders once again. "That's a bad animal, man."

* * *

After the bell rung and Mr. Turner rushed us into class, Mr. Turner gave us a few minutes to talk amongst ourselves and ask each other about our summers. I immediately snuck behind my blonde-haired boyfriend and tapped him on the shoulder. Ricky wasn't supposed to be back until next week from his vacation trip, but I guess he came back early. Obviously, expecting it to be Ricky, I was both surprised and embarrassed when Stuart Minkus turned around instead.

"Stuart! Hi...sorry I thought you were someone else."

He still looked the same way from the last time I saw him in Jefferson Elementary more than a year ago (his big round glasses were the definition of himself), except for the fact that he was a lot taller now and certainly looked older. Oddly enough he looked a lot like Ricky from behind...

And he still had that big smirk he always gave whenever he greeted someone. "Riley Matthews. It's been an exceptionally long while since we've last seen each other. How has this polluted planet been treating you?"

_Yep, this is definitely Farkle's dad. _"Brutally, I think. Um, I thought you went to Einstein Academy? What are you doing here at John Adams High?"

"Well, since you were polite in your curiosity, I will explain. One day, in our chemistry lab back at good ole' Einstein Academy, I was experimenting with some chemicals as I had been for a few months. I was aspiring to be the next Albert Einstein or Thomas Edison. I was hungry for discovery and knowledge. That was, until my brilliant lab partner decided it would be a good idea to mix chlorine and ammonia together, causing a big explosion in the lab."

My jaw dropped slightly. "Oh gosh, was everybody okay?"

He nodded. "Yes, thankfully nobody was severely injured in the explosion, but my lab partner and I were held responsible for the cause. After that, my parents thought it would be a marvelous idea to take me away from the sciences and just send me to an 'average' school."

"So...you got expelled?"

"Preciously."

I nodded understandingly. "Well, you don't have to worry about stuff like that happening here...I think," I said, looking over to Cory and Shawn goofing around with each other as usual. "It was nice seeing you again, Minkus," I said, turning around to go back to my seat. I was _not _expecting to hear what came next.

"Would you like to see 'Paint Your Wagon' with me this Friday? It will be held in the school's auditorium. Not many people know this about me but I enjoy a good cowboy musical once in a while."

My eyes widened. I turned back swiftly to face Farkle's dad. "Um, like a date?"

"Sure, why not."

_How should I put this lightly? _"It sounds like a great idea, but I have a boyfriend now, Stuart. I'm sure some other lucky girl would like to go out with you."

Stuart smiled. "I think I will ask Topanga now."

"NO!" I blurted out. "I mean, you can't because she's with someone else."

"And who would that be?"

"...Cory?" I said, pointing to Cory attempting to talk to Topanga. _Hopefully he bought it._

Minkus turned to me and shrugged. "Well, I suppose she was bound to fall for brillo-head eventually."

We took our seats. Minkus chose to sit in front of me. In _Ricky's _seat. _Well, I guess I'll just let him have it temporarily. Just until Ricky gets back from his vacation._

Maya snuck into the classroom five minutes after the bell hand rung. Mr. Turner didn't seem to mind but I was sure he would give Maya a stern lecture after class.

I had to admit I was a little curious about why Maya was late. If she left with T.K. this morning, what could have they been doing for like an hour? Scary images started popping in my head, but I decided not to assume anything. Assuming things was probably the worst thing I could do in this case.

Maya sat down. Her hair was cut a little shorter than the last time I had seen it, I noticed, and was now a darker blonde color, instead of her usual bleach blonde hair. Her eyes met mine.

I held my tongue from asking why she was late. "Hey...Maya."

Her familiar smile showed. "Oh, hey...Riles. How was your summer?"

I chuckled awkwardly. "Got lots of reading done, and I helped Mr. Feeny with his garden. Well not really help, you know. Just watch and keep him company mostly. How about you?"

She bit her lip. "I did more of what I usually do. Nothing."

"Well, at least you're consistent."

"Oh, and hang out with T.K. She's a cool person."

I felt an uncomfortable pang in my heart. "Yeah, I'm sure she's great."

"So Mr. Feeny's treating you okay? Do you get more chores now?"

I looked down at my hands. "Well considering I used to do all of yours, on top of that, mine too, I would say pretty much the same. Do you get any chores?"

Maya shrugged. "Not really. Turner's not as picky as Feeny is about organization."

I wanted to tell Maya about the two geranium plants being the same height now, but I decided against it. Maybe she wouldn't get the reference, as I knew that little childish things like that never really excited Maya. Perhaps that was what made us so different.

"That's cool," I answered. "So things must be going great with Mr. Turner and Shawn then?"

She shrugged. "Eh, we're doing okay. The boys can be pigs at times, but you gotta love 'em. Hey, what's up with Cory lately? He's acting stranger than usual." She pointed to the row next to us, and we watched how Topanga was passing out Turner's course information sheet to everybody. When she got to Cory, he took it from her hand and guess what? He gave her a thumbs up! And to make matters worse, after that mess, he saluted her!

I smiled sheepishly. "It's a long story. A love thing."

* * *

Cory was so utterly embarrassed by the way he behaved himself with Topanga during English. During lunch we left Cory alone for a few minutes as Maya and I stood in line to buy our lunches. Shawn was nowhere in sight, which was odd for him since he was always with Cory, even in bad times.

"You sure we should be leaving him like this?" I asked Maya worriedly, looking back and forth from her and my dad.

"He just needs some time to cool off. Don't worry, everything will work out for the best." I spotted Topanga walking up to Cory's table. I signaled my head over my head over to them and Maya looked over. She smiled confidently. "See? I told you everything would work out for the best."

While we were in line waiting to buy our lunches, Maya and I caught up with what each of us did for the summer. She told me some funny stories about the way Mr. Turner and Shawn's hair looked in the morning and how they both failed to pick up girls often times. My summer wasn't nearly as fun as hers.

After buying our lunches, we walked back to Cory's table and sat down, noticing Cory's yet again distressful look.

"What happened now, Matthews?" Maya asked.

My lip quivered. "I thought you asked Topanga to go steady? What did she say?"

Cory looked down at the table. "I couldn't, again. I found out my back-stabbing ex-best friend asked her out this Friday."

I gasped. "You mean Shawn asked her out?" _WHAT?! _

"I'm gonna kill him," Maya said determinedly, balling up her fists. "He's ruining everything! That womanizer. I don't care if he is your back-stabbing ex-best friend. All he ever cares about is getting girls to go out with him, and this has gone too far."

"I agree," I spoke. "But violence isn't the answer. We have to confront him. He may have a good reason."

"A good reason for him to steal Topanga away from Cory?" Maya defended.

"We don't know his side." Another thing that Maya and I never agreed on. That there were always two sides to one story, and the way we both chose to handle problems we were faced with. She solved problems with violence, and I solved problems by talking things out. Which method was the best, we were about to find out.

* * *

We didn't see Shawn after lunch, so after school Maya and I decided to go to Turner's apartment (since we knew he was likely to be there) and confront him.

After walking up ten flights of stairs, Maya surprisingly had enough energy to race to the apartment door. I ran up behind her and stopped her before she could unlock it. "Maya, promise me that you will not kill Shawn. The last thing we want is to cause another disruption to the future."

Maya smiled forcefully, taking a step back from the door. "I promise that I will not kill Shawn."

_I should have known not to trust her._

We entered Mr. Turner's apartment to find Shawn sitting causally on the couch twirling his fingers. I could tell that really boiled up Maya inside because I turned to see Maya ball up her firsts in front of her. Before I could stop her, she lunged herself on top of Shawn and grabbed him by the collar, strangling his sides in the process.

I lunged myself to Maya and attempted to pray her hands off of my uncle. "Maya, you promised me you wouldn't try to kill him!"

Maya shrugged me off her and pulled Shawn's collar dangerously close to her face. "Look at that face. Does that look like a face that isn't looking to get a beating?"

Shawn effortlessly ripped Maya's hands from his collar and pushed her off his lap. "Maya, I hardly think you can beat me up."

Maya's fired-up eyes scared me greatly, and she wasn't even directing herself to me!

"Are you testing me, trailer boy?" she challenged. Shawn immediately stood up from the couch. The growth spurt that he had had over the summer break would unfortunately overpowering Maya's petite frame. But knowing Maya, her rage and determination would overpower anybody any day.

"Okay, that's enough," I said, sacrificing myself by positioning myself in front of Shawn and Maya, not wanting Mr. Turner to come home to find that Shawn and Maya had killed each other. I turned to face Shawn. "Why did you ask out Topanga?"

"You don't even like her that way," Maya added.

Shawn smirked, folding up his arms over his chest. "How do you know I don't? She's a woman now. Cory even said so. And I date women. I don't date little girls who try to kill me," he said, glaring over Maya.

Maya glared back, with a hundred times more anger. "You're calling me something, Hunter? Because last time I remember, I wasn't a little girl when I pinned you a million times last year."

"That's where puberty comes in now," Shawn said, referring to his arm muscles.

Maya looked at him with disgust. "You're a disgusting pig. How could you do that to your best friend?"

Shawn didn't have enough time to answer before Cory barged into the apartment. _Guess I forgot to close the door._

Cory hurriedly walked around the apartment, rambling. "All right, where is he? I demand to know where Shawn Hunter is."

Maya and I were blocking Cory's view to Shawn, which was why he couldn't see Shawn.

Shawn lifted up his hand as Maya and I moved aside. "I'm right here, Cor."

Cory laid his eyes upon his ex-best friend. "Aha! I've found you."

Shawn groaned. "Is this about Topanga?"

I could see a look of hurt in Cory's eyes. "What were you thinking, Shawn? You do not ask out your best friend's girl."

"All I did was ask out a girl who didn't have a boyfriend," Shawn defended. "Which reminds me. I think I'll go call her and firm up plans." Shawn said, smirking as he backed up to go to his room.

Cory scoffed bitterly. "Oh, go ahead, Hunter. Firm your little heart out. Firm up your plans for Friday night. And every night for that matter, my friend. Or should I say my ex-friend? I'm outta here," he said, storming out of the apartment.

Maya followed behind Shawn to his room. "If you touch that phone Hunter, that cord is going up somewhere you don't want it to be!"

I was left alone in the living room. _What happens now?_

* * *

If only there was a way to see what happens to Shawn and Topanga and how my parents are supposed to get together, but there was a way. The notorious photo album. The photo album that had gone through so much with Maya and I, and kept coming back like a boomerang to bring us more problems. I had told Mr. Feeny everything about the photo album, and he decided it would be best for him to keep it locked away, and I would never disobey Mr. Feeny's authority.

All I could do now was let everything happen as it came. I had no clue about the things that I had to be concerned about, and that was the scariest thing of all.

I decided to take up Stuart Minkus on that offer to go to the 'Paint Your Wagon' cowboy musical that would held in the school's auditorium. I needed a date to spy on Shawn and Topanga's date since I had heard they would be there, and since Ricky wouldn't be back until next week, I decided why not? _That doesn't make me a bad person, right?_

"You look ravishing, Riley Matthews," Minkus said, complimenting my t-shirt and pair of blue jeans as we walked inside the auditorium and took a seat two seats beside Shawn and Topanga.

I looked down at my outfit and smiled sheepishly. "Thanks, Stuart, but you can me Riley. Just Riley."

Stuart looked down at the sugar peach candy I was eating.

"How about peach-fuzz?" he said, attempting to be flirtatious with me.

I raised my eyebrows. "Okay then," I said, leaning back into my chair. I felt Minkus' arm slowly crept behind me, carefully wrapping my shoulders. I was no leaning forward in my chair. "Stuart, I told you I have a boyfriend. I asked you to this movie as friends."

"Whatever you say, peach-fuzz."

_You have to admit, Stuart Minkus was just as persistent as Farkle._

"Hey Riley, I didn't know you liked cowboy musicals," I heard Topanga say two seats beside me. I turned to see Shawn had his arm wrapped around Topanga.

I smiled nervously. "I thought I would give this one a chance. I don't like to be prejudice with musicals. How about you Shawn?" I said, curious to hear why he would take Topanga out to watch a musical on their 'first date'.

"Uh," he said lazily stretching his arms out and yawning loudly. "I got a note in my locker saying that this was supposed to turn into Leon's Revenge. You know, that R-rated movie we're not supposed to watch?"

"Great," I said, my eyes widening as I chuckled nervously.

Minkus tapped me on the shoulder. "Don't worry peach-fuzz, if the movie gets too gory you can always hug me for protection."

I blushed embarrassingly red. "That's okay, Stuart."

"Stuart?" Topanga said surprised. "I didn't know you went to John Adams High."

"I didn't," Stuart responded. "I got kicked out of Einstein Academy for causing an explosion in the chemistry lab. How do you like me now?"

Topanga smiled brightly. "Just about the same."

"You take care of her Minkus," Shawn warned.

I glared at the boy. "Shawn, you're not helping."

"I know."

Moments later, the couple who I _least _expected to sit in between Shawn and Topanga and Stuart and I. _Ladies and gentlemen, here comes the madness. _

My jaw dropped as Cory and Maya sat beside us. I immediately spotted their hands intertwined. And of course, I was not the only one who was dumbfounded by this.

"Cor, you brought Maya on a date?" Shawn asked, gritting his teeth.

Cory smirked, satisfied by how bothered Shawn was. "Yes Shawnie. We heard about this movie from my brother and since none of us had dates we thought we would go together. Hey Topanga."

"Hey Cory," she greeted back, seemingly confused as well.

Shawn stood up from his seat. "Cory, I need to have a word with you right now."

"Sure buddy," Cory said, and they both walked out of the auditorium.

I was the next to stand up. "Maya, can I have a word with you right now?"

"Sure buddy," she said, and we both walked out of the theater and stood on the opposite side of the door from Cory and Shawn.

"How could you go out with Maya?" Shawn asked frustrated.

"How could you go out with Topanga?"

"Hey twinkle-toes," Maya barked at the boys. "Riley and I are trying to have a moment here. Can you shut up for a sec?"

"Well we were here first!" Shawn stated as a matter-in-of-fact.

Cory pushed Shawn back into the auditorium. "Let's not tempt the devil, Shawn," he said under his breath.

I turned to my friend. "Maya, what are you doing?" I asked, irritated by the turn of events.

Maya shrugged nonchalantly. "We came here to see Leon's Revenge. You know, to get some revenge over here," she said, referring to Shawn.

I huffed. "You could have at least warned me."

"So what are you doing with Farkle's dad then?" she said, raising an eyebrow at me.

"I didn't wanna come alone. And don't change the subject here, you shouldn't fight fire with fire. You know what that creates?"

"A campfire?" she joked.

I maintained my serious face. "I'm being serious Maya."

Maya held out a pack of gum and offered me a piece. When she saw that I wouldn't budge, she took out a piece herself, unwrapped the wrapper and stuck it inside her mouth.

"Riles, let me do what I think will get your parents together, alright? I'm doing this for you. You trust me, right?" she asked, chewing on her gum.

"I do," I lied. _I used to._

* * *

The cartoon preview of _The Road Runner_ started and everybody got back in their seats on time. I tried my best to keep my distance between Minkus while at the same time keeping an eye on my friends and their 'dates'. Topanga would actually _snuggle _closer to Shawn whenever the coyote would fall off the cliff as Shawn attempted to see how many breath mints he could fit in his mouth. It was a revolting sight.

Meanwhile, Maya and Cory tried their best not to be grossed out by each other as they snuggled closely as well. I watched in disgust. Spontaneously, Cory leaned in to kiss Maya but he ended up popping the bubble she had formed from her gum.

"Oh great, I've been gummed," Cory said, picking out gum pieces from his face.

I looked over to see Shawn's reaction and all I saw was him rolling his eyes as he still had his arm over Topanga. _At least something's working._

Right as Eric was about to put on the scary movie, Mr. Feeny showed up and kicked everybody out of the auditorium. As everybody got up to evacuate the theater, Cory stayed behind, sitting on his chair with a look of sadness on his face, just like how Maya and I had found him in the cafeteria after Shawn asked out Topanga. _Where has any of this got us?_

I told Minkus I would meet up with him later and he left. Now it was just the five of us left behind.

Seeing Cory in his poor state, Topanga tapped on her date's shoulder. "Shawn? I'll be right there."

Shawn nodded understandingly and walked outside. Maya and I looked at each other and decided to follow behind our backstabbing friend. We met up with him at the door.

"Hunter, get back here," Maya called to him. "This is a new low, even for you."

Shawn turned around and smirked. "You think my plan worked?"

My eyebrow automatically quirked. "What plan?"

"My plan to get Cory and Topanga together."

I gasped. "This was all a plan?!"

Shawn's smirk grew wider. "What do you think?"

"Was it also part of your plan for you to get jealous of Cory and me together?" Maya smirked back.

"Nah, I will admit you guys got me good. Now that you've got gone out with Cory, what do you say you go out with me? I'm sure that'll punish me good."

I felt a creepy shiver run down my back.

Maya chuckled. "Not a chance, trailer boy."

While both kept flirting, I spied on Cory and Topanga through the door's creak. Rooting for them to finally say their feelings for each other.

"Cory, would you just talk to me?" Topanga pleaded.

"I can't. Don't you think I want to? I mean, in my head this is so easy. I've said it all summer long, a million times."

Topanga bit her lip. "Said what?"

"I can't say it now, here...with all these empty chairs around."

She grabbed Cory's hand. "Cory, it's just you and me. We've know each other our whole lives. We've always been able to talk."

"That's what's making this so hard now."

She smiled brightly. "It doesn't have to be."

Cory took a deep breath. "Look, Topanga. If I had to dream up the perfect woman, she wouldn't even come close to you...Would you be my girlfriend?" And _that's_ when it happened. My mom leaned in to kiss my dad. _Go mom! _I hadn't seen something as beautiful as this since their first kiss. When she pulled back, he still had a shocked expression on his face. "Yes or no?"

_My parents were finally together. My parents are Cory and Topanga. And their love was real._

Shawn came up behind me and pushed the door open. He clapped for the newly-made happy couple. "Man, it's about time."

Maya and I came re-entered the auditorium as well.

I playfully shoved an imaginary microphone to Topanga's face. "How does it feel to be the new Mrs. Matthews?"

Maya pulled me back. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves pumpkin."

Cory looked at Shawn baffled. "Wait, it was a setup?"

"Hey, we had no part in this. This was all your buddy here," Maya said, resting her hand on Shawn's shoulder, but then immediately removing it when Shawn flirtatiously winked at her.

"Oh, thank you," Cory lunged himself to hug his best friend gratefully. Shawn hugged him back. _The bromance. _

"Now go back there, you little sea monkey," Shawn encouraged, pushing his best friend back to his _girlfriend._ That sounds so right!

"So, where were we?" Cory asked Topanga playfully before they went back in for another kiss.

* * *

**Author's Note: Okay, so before you guys kill me for erasing Trini from existence, I just want to say that I thought it made better sense to have Maya be Cory's date because it would totally get back at Shawn for stealing (not really stealing) Topanga away from Cory. So with that, I want to give a big shout-out to my friend PaigeyPenguin for the idea of having Cory ask out Maya in order to get revenge on Shawn for asking out Topanga lol. Keep those suggestions coming guys because they are great! :)**

** I was surprised to see a lot of your reactions to the fact that Maya now lives with Turner and not Feeny. Did anybody expect that to happen? A lot of people have been asking me if this is gonna be temporary or permanent. You'll find out by the end of the season if it is! :)**

**Please head on over to InKitt and vote for this story! :) I believe there is a week left for voting so do it fast! :) The link is: w w w . inkitt . com (slash) stories (slash) 47604**

**If I don't update before Christmas, I'd just like to wish you all a Merry Christmas to you and your families! :)**

**P.S- the Tumblr Blog and comic strip can be found either on my Twitter or in the description box of the After Talk video for this chapter.**

**-Mimi1239**


	41. Like a Virgin

**Hey ya'll! I try to come up with new ways to basically say hello but as you can see I suck at doing that. Let's move on lol.**

**I'M BAAAACCKKK! I've almost forgot how good it feels to write a chapter. Honestly, you guys have no idea how much I missed this story. There will never be anything that tops my experience of doing this for you guys. And the responses I get, wow! So much has happened for me over the last few months of school (such as completing my volunteer hours, joining a Scouts group, applying to Universities and getting accepted) that it was impossible to continue this story. But now I'm getting a bit more freedom from school, so here goes to another season of SYITN! :D**

**FYI, I pulled an all-nighter to write this. I've never done that before, and now I have to do my homework and go to school in about 3 hours, but that's okay because y****ou guys do not know how supported I feel by you all. I love you all soooo sooooo much! There are not enough words in this world to describe my feelings, so I hope this chapter does something to your hearts. :) MORE INFO WILL BE SAID IN MY AUTHOR'S NOTE BELOW!**

**Chapter Talk: I couldn't wait to write this chapter because I've had it planned in my head for the longest time. As you can probably tell by the title, the chapter will get a little bit mature, but don't worry because it there won't be anything graphic. I am very aware of my audience and I don't want any of you to feel uncomfortable when reading this. You'll start to see the side of Gary that we know from 'Chick Like Me'. What comes with what happens in this chapter is the realization for Maya that nothing can ever be the same between her and Shawn again. I feel like I made that sound way worse than it actually is lol. Just read and you'll see! ;)**

**I'd LOVE to give a shout-out to those who reviewed my previous chapter: Mari101, Guest, Forgetmenotz, Guest, Giggles789, Guest, skylinesandstreetsigns, AliciaMae26, Lightrose8860, Guest, Guest, joyfish98, Guest, Guest, aliqueen16, Hannah1412, Hoalover716, Stay Gold -Pebblemist and JoySeph13.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

_It was the first time I'd ever been called a goody-two-shoes before. That had never been my role to play. Always Riley's. Things were changing. And I did not like it one bit._

Maya's Point of View

**_Tuesday, September 19th, 1995, Philadelphia_**

**_Past time, 5:09 P.M_**

"Maya and Shawn, come out of your rooms, there's something important I need to talk to you both!" I could hear Mr. Turner's urgent voice coming from the living room. _Oh no! Does he know that I skipped Chemistry to hang out with T.K.? What else could make Turner so urgent to talk to us? Unless it was something that Shawn did, in which case, I was saved._

"Coming!" I shouted, getting up from bed and walking out of my room. After a ton of disagreement between Shawn and Turner over who should sleep on the couch and who should sleep on the floor, Mr. Turner turned his 'teacher-office' into a bedroom for Shawn. Now Shawn slept only a room away from me, which was one room not enough, if you'd ask me.

Shawn and I crossed paths once we reached the intersection of the hallway. A look of worry struck on his face when he saw me.

"What did you do?" he whispered lowly.

"Why do you think I did anything?" I whispered back, smirking amusingly. "This is most likely a 'Shawn-did-it-meeting' and I'm just gonna sit back and watch him ground you."

Shawn glared back. "You'd like that, huh? I wouldn't expect him to ground you since you never do anything wrong, except skip class to hang out with your friend."

My jaw dropped. "How did you know about that?"

"You just told me."

_Why did I let him get to me? _"Oh yeah? And you don't think I don't know that you broke Turner's stereo but you have it hidden in your room?"

Now it was Shawn's jaw that dropped. "You were in my room?"

I smirked. "Nope, just a lucky guess."

After we had another one of our stare-downs, Shawn broke the silence.

"So we deny everything he asks, right?"

"Of course."

I walked behind Shawn in order to observe Turner's reaction when he first saw him. Our teacher was behind the kitchen counter drinking a glass of milk. Shawn and I awkwardly sat down on the stools. It didn't look like Mr. Turner was about to ground any of us. His face showed a reflection of excitement yet it looked like whatever he was about to tell us was very important. But because of how clueless Shawn could be, he didn't see it that way.

"I'm glad yer both here," Turner was about to start before Shawn cut him off.

"Maya skipped class!" he blurted out. _Great, throw me under the bus! If I go down, so do you Hunter._

I whacked Shawn over the head with a rolled-up newspaper before retorting, "Shawn broke your stereo!" Then Shawn and I broke out into an argument.

Mr. Turner talked over our argument. "Guys, that's not why I called you here! By the way, you're both grounded after I get back from my buddy's wedding in Pittsburgh."

Shawn and I abruptly stopped our shouting. _Did he really just say Pittsburgh?_

"So you're going out of town for the weekend?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. _Mr. Feeny would never go out of town on such short notice. _

"And we get this place to ourselves?" Shawn asked eagerly. "Maya and I will get some alone time?"

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "You're the last person I'd want to spent some 'alone time' with."

Turner cut off our bickering for the second time. "Not so fast guys. Just because you live here now doesn't mean I trust you yet to stay by yourselves for an entire weekend."

"You know us too well," I observed glumly.

"So what's the plan?" Shawn asked.

Turner moved himself into the living room and sat on the couch as we turned ourselves in our stools.

"Well, Shawn will be staying with the Matthews and Maya will be staying with Feeny."

I immediately objected. "I don't like that plan."

Mr. Turner sighed. "I'm sorry Maya but I've already called Mr. Feeny and he's agreed to take you in for the weekend."

"I don't like this plan either!" Shawn jumped in. "John, Saturday is date night and I can't miss date night this weekend. Girls will think I'm off the market."

I smirked, kind of enjoying Shawn's dilemma. "I thought date night for you was every night?"

Mr. Turner rolled his eyes. "You'll live Shawn. The Matthews are okay with taking you in. Don't forget about this, especially you Shawn," Mr. Turner warned us, but mostly Shawn.

Shawn smirked pompously. "John, you'd really think I'd forget?"

_Of course Shawn would forget._

* * *

When Thursday rolled around, I watched Shawn and Cory spy on Veronica's breakup with her boyfriend at lunch. Spoiler alert: she dumped him good. Another unexpected twist: Shawn asked out Veronica immediately after her breakup and she agreed to go out with him on Saturday. What a shocker! _Wait a minute, since Mr. Turner will be out of town, Shawn will have his date over at the Matthews' house._

"Ooh, this will serve well for my enjoyment," I said, rubbing my hands and smirking devilishly. Alright, so why did I care whether or not Shawn had a bad date or not? Because after all of his good dates, he only bragged non-stop about them. What better way to crush his ego a little than to him experience a bad date, even if it would be with a perfect Barbie doll?

I went up to the two and rested my elbow in the crock of Cory's neck cockily. "Are you gonna tell him?"

"Tell me what?" Shawn asked worriedly, looking at his best friend for information. But I decided to interrupt before Cory could say anything. _I just had to._

"That your date with Veronica will be at Cory's place. You know, under parental supervision," I explained, smirking amusingly.

"WHAT?! You're kidding? How come?" Shawn outburst's echoed through the hallway.

Cory put his hand on Shawn to try to calm him down. "Calm down buddy. You're staying at my house this weekend, remember? Turner's going out of town. Look, my parents are cool when Topanga's over. You know, until ten o'clock."

"A ten o'clock curfew," Shawn whined. "Cory, that means if I pick her up at eight that only gives us- oh, that stinking metric system." _How dumb can just one boy be?_

As if on cue, Turner passed right by us and entered his classroom. Shawn followed behind him. Cory and I trailed Shawn as we all entered our English classroom.

"John! John! Boy, it's good- no, it's great to see you," Shawn said forcefully. I glared daggers at the back of his head. _What a kiss-up._

Turner turned around and raised an eyebrow puzzled. "You just saw me in class 20 minutes ago."

As if he couldn't find the most butt-kissing response to ever exist, oh but he did. "Then why the heck do I miss you so much?"

_Alright, now he's just pushing it._

Shawn elbowed Cory. "Tell him how good he looks."

"You look good," Cory said, attempting to up his confidence level as he spoke.

"Have you dropped a few LBs?" Shawn complimented, playfully patting Turner's stomach.

_Okay, this has to end now. _

I could tell from experience that Turner wasn't buying Shawn's bull. Turner's eyes widened as he probably thought the worst. "Not my stereo again."

When Turner found out Shawn had broken his stereo a couple of days ago, Turner decided to invest in another one instead of having it repaired.

"Nope, still drying out," Shawn muttered under his breath. "So, listen, my friend Cory over here-" Shawn pointed his index finger to his friend.

"Hi," Cory waved awkwardly.

Shawn crossed his arms. "He tells me you're going out of town this weekend."

Turner furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean, he told you? I told you myself. Remember, I looked you right in the eye and I said, 'I'm going out of town. You're staying at the Matthews' and Maya's staying at Feeny's'?. Don't you listen?"

It was clear when Shawn hadn't when he responded with, "what?"

Turner decided to talk slower. "Do you listen?"

Shawn only looked back at Cory like a lost puppy to translate. "He's asking if you listen," Cory explained in the same terms.

"Oh! Oh, yeah, well, I try. John, I didn't know you were being serious when you told us that." _Excuses, excuses, excuses..._

Turner narrowed his eyes at the delusional boy. "Well, then I'll be serious now. I'm going out of town. My buddy Chris is getting married. You're staying at the Matthews', Maya's staying over at Feeny's. I rented a tuxedo. You got me?"

"People get married every day," Shawn tried to defend.

Cory then decided to step in. _Why even get involved? _"Excuse me. Shawn, may I?"

"Please," Shawn pleaded to his best friend.

"Aw, how cute," I cooed mockingly, patting Cory's stomach playfully. "You're volunteering to be Shawn's lawyer. How thoughtful, Matthews."

"Cory's got this," Shawn said defensively. "Right Cor?"

"Right," Cory said, a little less confident now that I pointed him out. He went up to Turner. "How many times does a guy get a date with Veronica Watson? That's right, Mr. Turner. The Veronica Watson," he said, using hand gestures and the whole bit.

I supposed girls were as important to guys in my time as they were in the nineties. Why did looks have to matter? They were only superficial characteristics and whether or not girls had a great personality, they were always overlooked by players. I wasn't claiming that all guys were players. I mean, Farkle and Lucas were never like that. Ricky wasn't either. He liked Riley for her goofiness and I had to respect that about him. And who could forget about Gary? Apparently me since I hadn't thought about him in months. Rumor had it that he ended things with Hilary Flores in the summer. I had to give him for being able to deal with that Barbie girl for so long.

Back to my original thought. If only girls didn't have to worry about what guys thought about them 24/7, the world would be a much better place.

I scoffed. "You mean the overrated Veronica Watson? What's so great about her? That she has a reputation of going out with any guy that asks her?"

Instead of trying to protect his integrity, Shawn did the complete opposite. "Well, you're not wrong about that. Plus I heard she's a good kisser."

I turned to Turner. "Mr. Turner, what do you think about this?"

Surprisingly, he only shrugged. "Well Maya, that's what boys your age are interested in right now. It hasn't changed from when I was a teenager."

I shuddered at just the thought of it. "That's disgusting. I'd never be that way."

Shawn smirked amusingly. "Of course you wouldn't Maya, you're too goody-goody to date multiple guys. It's just not you."

I send deathly glares at the Hunter boy as he hid behind Cory. "Say that again and I'll kill you," I threatened.

"Now Maya-" Turner began before I stopped him.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "So you're saying that I can't date as many guys as I want to, but Shawn can date as many girls as he wants?"

"Nothing's stopping you, Maya," Turner said. "I just don't think it's a good idea for you to be behaving that way. Guys will get the wrong impression of you. That you're easy."

I raised an eyebrow. "This isn't some double-standard thing, is it? Shawn's a boy so he's allowed to date every girl in the school. I'm a girl and if I start a lot of dating boys they'll want to take advantage of me?"

Mr. Turner shrugged again. "It happens Maya. I've seen it happen, and nice girls like you don't need to go through that."

"But I'm not nice," I retorted.

"Maybe I can say something?" Cory offered.

I shook my head. "I'd rather you not."

"Okay then," Cory said, stepping back frightened.

Turner began to explain. "Maya, you still call me Turner when we've been living with each other for more than three months. Now, I'm not saying that being a 'goody-two-shoes' is a bad thing at all."

I was tired of their garbage. What gave them the right to tell me that I was 'nice'? I was Maya Hart. I was It was the first time I'd ever been called a goody-two-shoes before. That had never been my role to play. Always Riley's. Things were changing. And I did not like it one bit.

The bell rung, automatically interrupting our conversation. I went to take my seat as Shawn and Cory followed suit. I sat in my usual seat and crossed my arms over my chest grumpily.

Watching Veronica just waltz into class and run her hair over Shawn's hair, whispering in his ear seductively, "Saturday," only made me want to vomit more.

* * *

"You shouldn't be taking any crap from those two, Maya. You're better than that," T.K. advised me after class as we were just getting ready to go to Turner's place to hang out. Yep, I had told T.K. about my problems before telling Riley first. It wasn't that I was avoiding Riley these last couple of days... okay I kind of was. It wasn't like she could understand my troubles. Riley had always been called a prune all of her life. Even by me. And she accepted her 'prune-ness'. I, on the other hand, couldn't.

"What should I do about it?" I asked.

T.K. was leaning against the locker next to me as I was getting my books organized. She looked at me seriously. "Look Hart, if I'd counted every time Harley and his thugs called me 'ballerina-princess' I'd be wasting my time. There's nothing you can do but prove 'em wrong. That's what I did, and now they know I'm one of them. That's all you have to do Hart, prove 'em wrong."

I had thought about it all through Mr. Turner's class. We were currently reading _Great Expectations. _It hadn't been enough for Estella that Pip was a good kid. No, she wouldn't even look at him with anything more than disgust until he became wealthy and educated. It wasn't enough to be yourself. No, you had to fulfill people's expectations or you were nothing to them. That was the harsh reality.

I slammed my locker shut, ready to become what Turner and Shawn did not expect of me. "How do I become one of them?"

T.K. eyed me steadily. "You'll definitely need some work. When was the last time you had a date?"

"Never really been on one," I confessed honestly.

"Last kiss with a boy?"

I rolled my eyes as I thought about Shawn. "You don't want to know."

Now it was T.K.'s turn to roll her eyes."Well, that sure explains it. If you want guys to notice you, you have to make the first move. Invite some guy over sometime. Word'll get around the school. It's just about baby steps, Hart."

It had occurred to me then that I knew just who to ask.

* * *

I spotted Gary as he was coming out of his Physics classroom the next day at school. _This is my move_, I thought to myself as I casually went up to Gary.

"Hey Gary, how are you?" I asked friendly. In spite of the fact that Gary had for sure changed since the last time we had spoken, (he had grown a few inches taller, his face looked longer and he had grown some muscle) it didn't stop me from falling into a comfortable form when I talked to him this time.

Gary smiled big. "Hey Maya, I'm good. How are you?" _Yep, I felt comfortable._

"Great!" I said, being half honest. "I was wondering if you wanted to hang out tomorrow and study at my place."

He chuckled as if I had said something funny. "Sure, but we don't have any of the same classes together? Not that I don't mind. We can still study together if you want to."

I nodded, smiling. "Yeah sure." I reached behind my back pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper with Turner's address on it. "Seven o'clock. So I'll see you tomorrow, Saturday," I said, smiling one last time before walking into English class.

* * *

I quietly jiggled the knob and allowed myself into Turner's apartment. I knew Gary would be here any minute and I had to make sure everything looked good for our 'study date'. Was I a bad person for sneaking out of Feeny's place without him knowing because he trusted me to stay inside while he went to his dentist appointment and Riley was at the library with Ricky? It wasn't like he wasn't used to my stunts already. I tried to feed myself excuses that what I was doing was okay.

Yeah, because sneaking a boy into an empty apartment to make-out was completely acceptable in anybody's mind.

I sighed, running my hand through my blonde locks in a stressful manner. "What are you doing, Maya? You're not like this. What would Riley do in this situation? Oh yeah, she wouldn't do anything because she wouldn't be doing this in the first place. Am I just going mental now?"

There was nobody but myself to answer that for me.

Finally, the doorbell rung. It had to be Gary.

I kept hearing T.K.'s voice in the back of my mind. What would she do? She'd probably answer the door right at this point.

I straightened out my clothes. I put on the nicest-ish thing I had owned, which was only a simple black dress with a jean jacket and a pair of brown combat boots. I ran a hand through my hair apprehensively for the last time before I opened the door. As I had expected, Gary stood on the other side of it.

I quickly noted that Gary had not brought any textbooks or school supplies, not even his backpack. _Did he know what we were going to be doing? He must have, he was a guy after all._

"Hey," he said, his thumbs hanging from his jean pockets. He was wearing a beige button-up shirt and dark blue jeans. He had combed his hair in a decent way, which I had to appreciate because unless a guy had hair like Shawn's which was perfect naturally, there was probably a lot of work that needed to go into grooming. Okay, did I just subconsciously did Shawn a compliment?

"Hey back," I said, trying to be witty to hide my nervousness.

We awkwardly stood there looking at each other for a few moments before he spoke up.

"Are you going to let me in?" he asked, chuckling.

"Oh, yeah sure," I said stupidly, stepping back to let the boy through.

_The only times when I'd been alone with a boy had been with Shawn. Why does this feel different?_

"Do you want anything to drink?" I asked, moving myself to the refrigerator. "We got..." I trailed before opening the fridge and looking inside only to find it being completely empty. "Water?"

I looked behind my shoulder to see Gary's reaction. He had situated himself on the couch. "No, that's fine, don't worry about it."

Hmm, deja vu.

"I guess we should get studying now," I said, trying to make small-talk as I moved myself to the couch, sitting on the armrest. "Oh look, I see you didn't bring your books." I only pretended like I just noticed then. "Did you forget them at home?"

"I thought we could do something else instead," he said, patting the spot on the couch next to him, implying that he wanted me to sit beside him.

I pretended like I didn't know what he wanted. "What are you doing?" I asked cluelessly. I would only act when he told me straight-up what he wanted from me.

"You should sit beside me," he suggested, patting the spot again.

Hesitantly, I moved myself beside him. Realizing that I was a bit too close since our bodies were practically touching, I scooted myself a bit away from him to give us some distance.

"Wanna go grab a burger at Chubbies? We don't have to be inside here. It's a little boring, don't you think?"

Gary shrugged. "It's alright. I kind of like the peace and quiet. Hilary always wanted us to be around her friends when we hung out. We never got much time alone together except for kissing and stuff. Not that I was complaining."

I laughed nervously. "Ha, ha. Yeah, I guess you boys will never complain about that stuff."

Without another word, Gary leaned in and began kissing me on the lips. I didn't pull back or try to stop him. I froze for a second, but then weirdly enough, I started kissing back. I'd only had one real kissing experience with Shawn, (because our second kiss had only been a quick peck) so I couldn't say that I had a lot of experience in that field. Especially in the way that Gary was kissing me. I could tell he knew what he was doing for sure.

I didn't know what to do with my hands, so I rested one on top of Gary's shoulder while instinctively ran the other one through Gary's hair, assuming he would like that. Gary settled both his hands on my waist. I could feel him started to gently push his weight on my small frame, and I began to fall back on the couch. When my full back hit the couch completely, Gary broke the kiss and climbed on top of me, then attacked my neck.

I breathed, staring straight up at the ceiling as I continued to let him suck on my neck. _What am I doing? This isn't me. Why was I allowing Gary to give me my first hickey? The only answer I could come up with was that because it was something T.K. would do. But I wasn't T.K.._

My eyes widened when I felt Gary's hand wandering under my dress, inching closer and closer up my body. It was all without my consent. If I had to be completely honest, it wasn't like sex had never crossed my mind before. I was soon to be fifteen years old, so the thought of sex to me now wasn't something new. But I never pictured it to be like this. Not on the couch, not in an apartment I wasn't supposed to be in, not with some guy I thought wouldn't try to touch me without my permission. I was too young, and I was definitely not ready.

As if some miracle, a barge through the main door interrupted Gary from taking things any further. He pulled his hand from under the hem of my dress and sat up straight. _No way, _I thought to myself. My jaw dropped as I saw Shawn and his date staring back at us in shock.

"Maya, what are you doing here?" Shawn asked, looking a bit hurt by my present company.

I straightened my dress and stood up. "I could say the same thing about you. You're supposed to be over at Matthews' house. You were thinking of bringing your date back here?"

"Whoa," Gary said, standing up. "You two live together?"

"Shawn," Veronica said, tapping Shawn on the shoulder and crossing her arms. She was not happy. "Is this true?"

Shawn nodded, "yes, but we're living with Mr. Turner."

I agreed. "Yeah, there's nothing going on here."

"Maybe we should go," Veronica suggested.

Gary walked over to Shawn's date. "I can take you home. What's your name?"

Veronica smiled at him flirtatiously. "Veronica Watson," she said, as she and Gary walked out the apartment together.

Shawn looked from the entrance back to me in disbelief. "Did he just steal my girl?"

I rolled my eyes and sat back down on the couch. "Gosh Hunter, you barely knew the girl. She wasn't your property," I nagged, trying to prevent him from seeing that I was on the verge of crying.

"Well, it looked like you were about to do a whole lot with Gary there," Shawn commented.

"If you ever speak of that again I promise you're dead," I threatened, shutting my eyes and leaning my forehead to my cupped hands in order to avoid looking at him in the face.

"I think your small hickey can speak for itself, Maya."

I opened my eyes and sat straight, immediately bringing my left hand to touch the tender spot that Gary had sucked on. I stared at my reflection from the turned off TV screen in front of me. _Yep, that's noticeable alright. _

I got up from the couch and grabbed Shawn by the collar of his shirt. "We're not telling Turner about any of this, understand?"

"What are we not telling Turner?" a voice said from the opened doorway. Yep, there stood Turner carrying his suitcases just like we expected him to be. We had forgotten to close the door when Gary and Veronica left so Turner probably eavesdropped on some parts of our conversation.

"Uh, John! You're back pretty early. How was the wedding?" Shawn asked nervously, trying to act casually.

Turner _did not _look happy at all. "My flight got cancelled. What are you two doing here?"

I was tired of lying. There was no use. Turner knew everything even though he acted like he didn't. There was only one option left for me. I ran out of the apartment as fast as the wind could take me.

* * *

I didn't end up going to the alley to talk to T.K. like I thought I would. No, I went over to Feeny's house instead. And sitting on a lawn chair in the garden was the little plant reading a book. The front cover of the book looked familiar. Yes of course, _Great Expectations._

I stood on the other side of the fence as Riley looked up to meet my eyes. Taking off her reading glasses, she settled her book down. "Maya, where have you been? Mr. Feeny may be home anytime now." She didn't look angry, but extremely worried like I anticipated she would be. "And what's that red spot on your neck? Did you get bitten by a mosquito or something?"

I nodded slowly. "Uh, yeah and I went over to Turner's apartment. Listen, can I talk to you for a sec? I need your advice about something."

Riley patted the spot beside her in her chair. The action reminded me of Gary, but this was completely different. I opened up the gate door and walked through. I sat next to Riley. The lawn chair was big enough to fit both of us.

"Now, you want advice from me, your good ole' friend?" Riley asked, trying to lighten the mood. It worked.

I laughed a little at my silly friend. "You know the more I think about it, the less you're becoming like me. That's a good thing, 'cause you don't want to be like me after what I almost did tonight."

Riley quirked her eyebrow while still smiling, slightly confused. "What did you almost do?" No answer from me. "Maya, you know I won't judge you. Whatever you almost did, I still love you the same."

"You don't need to know the whole story. Just know that I don't want to be someone whom I'm not."

Riley nodded understandingly. "That's a good way to think. You're a state of being, and there's only one of you."

I smiled gratefully. "Thanks Riles. Hey, how's the novel going?" I asked pointing to Riley's copy sitting on the table next to her.

"It's going great. I'm on the last page," Riley said, eyeing the book with a grin on her face. "Promise me you'll read it if I tell you how it turns out?"

"I promise."

"Well, we find out that Estella loves Pip. Everything changed between them, but they end up together. They accept each other and he forgives her for being so horrible to him when they were kids. Because he always loved her no matter what she did."

I twirled my fingers glumly. "I wish real life had perfect endings like in books."

Riley looked at me. "There's always hope, Maya."

* * *

Riley went inside to do her chores before Feeny got home remained on the lawn chair reading _Great Expectations. _I was halfway through it when I felt the presence of someone standing in front of me. I looked up to see it being Shawn as I expected it to be.

"Will there ever come a day when you won't chase after me when I run away?" I asked him sarcastically.

"Will there ever come a day when you won't try to run away?" he retorted back. "John wants to talk to you about what you did."

I glared at him. _Was he kidding me? _"Yeah well, I almost did something incredibly stupid tonight just because you and John said I never do anything wrong. But don't worry because I'll never do something like that again. I guess you can go off and tell John that since you are his messenger."

"Maya, we only said that you were nice because you are. What's so bad about being nice?"

"I'm not always nice. I'm not always a good kid. I skip class and make-out with guys I don't really know. I don't know why I do it. I'm still learning about myself. I just have to try harder."

Shawn nodded understandingly. I expected him to know what I meant. "Gary's a lucky guy. I bet he knows that."

Then it finally hit me. In order to discover myself, I had to let go of a few things.

I sat up from my chair. "Promise me one thing Shawn."

He gulped. "Anything."

"That you'll never have feelings for me ever again."

"Maya that-"

"Just do it Hunter! Because that's the way it's going to be now. That's the way it should always be between us." _Why was I fighting this? Because Shawn needed to understand that he couldn't love me. And so did I._

Shawn dug his thumbs in his jeans and nodded. "Then that's the way it'll be."

* * *

I was grounded for two months. No surprise there. Turner had seen Gary and Veronica leaving the building as he was on his way up to the apartment. What a way to get busted, huh? I sat in my room during the week, just thinking. Not necessarily about Gary or Turner, or even Riley. But about something that I had discovered the day I moved into Turner's place months ago.

I walked over to my drawer and pulled out my journal. Inside contained all of my thoughts and secrets. And for the past few months I'd been keeping something from everyone. Even from myself.

I pulled out from inside my small notebook the heart-shaped letter (or when I first found it I assumed it was a letter) that I had found in one of the boxes. I used to think Shawn only thought of me as one of his past-time girlfriends. Because Shawn couldn't like me. But now I knew he really did.

_Although she rejects me all the time,_

_I can't help, but ask her to be mine._

_The girl with the long blonde hair._

_The girl with the crystal blue beautiful eyes and smile._

_The girl I wake up every morning to see, even if it's just for a while._

For months I'd known about the poem Shawn had wrote to me. It was clear he thought about me a lot. And the scary thing was I was starting to think a lot about him too. But he couldn't like me anymore. He promised me he wouldn't.

And it was for that reason that from then on I would try to deny my feelings for Shawn entirely. It was not only dangerous when Shawn started to like me, but now that I was having these feelings that I couldn't control, I could only imagine it being far more dangerous. This needed to stop. Shawn would go on with his normal life dating girls, and I would try my best to erase my feelings for him.

Because real life did not have perfect endings like in books.

And after all, hope was for suckers.

* * *

**Author's Note: Oooh cliffhanger! :O So Maya knew all this time what the poem said, yet she kept it to herself the entire summer. Wanna guess why she did that? ;) You'll know pretty soon!**

**As some of you may know, I changed my YouTube channel name from Mimi1239 Fanfiction Productions to simply Mimi1239. I do GMW episode reviews and After Talks for this story (as well as some other cool stuff) so I'd appreciate it if you guys went to check out my channel and subscribe if you want. :) I'm setting this goal of once I reach 100 subs I will be doing a Google Hangout once a month, and that's when you guys will be able to message and talk to me live. I'd like to get started on that ASAP so head on over to my channel and check out my videos! :) Plus, I do answer some of your reviews in my After Talk videos! See if you were one of them from last chapter! ;) Oh, and another thing! If you guys want me to have another story contest like I did in season 2, let me know in your reviews! **

**P.S- the After Talk video (which includes the links to the Tumblr Blog Reviews Q&amp;A, comic strip and Wattpad links located in the description box below the vid) for this chapter is in my bio!**

**See you guys soon!**

**-Mimi1239**


	42. What's Love Got to Do with It?

**Welcome to a new chapter! Not gonna lie, I'm very rusty in my writing skills, so I apologize in advance if this chapter doesn't make sense whatsoever. I feel like it also has to do with the fact that I'm writing this out at 4 in the morning, but whatever, I'm a night owl lol.**

**Link to my After Talk is available on my bio so GO CHECK IT OUT RIGHT NOW AFTER YOU READ THE CHAPTER! :D Yes, I'm talking to you! Don't pretend like you're not reading this right now lol. CHECK IT OUT! (if you want)**

**Chapter Talk: You know when you think you may feel something for someone, and you think they may feel the same way about you, but it turns out that may not be the case? It happens twice in this chapter to two very different couples. Remember how after Cory and Topanga said 'I love you' to each other they still stayed together? Watch what happens to the other couple. ;)**

**I'd LOVE to give a shout-out to those who reviewed my previous chapter: Guest, Lana, Lightrose8860, neverlanding rapunzel, Giggles789, Guest, ameturl, AliciaMae26, JoySeph13, Guest, Ghost adventure lover23, Mari101, FunFanFicForYou, Stay Gold -Pebblemist, CabbieLoverSAC22, aliqueen16 and Weirdlover1239.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, or its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

_Cory and I were just confused kids. I was starting to believe that we were very similar thinking-wise, but put in different ends of the same problem._

Riley's Point of View

_**Sunday, October 1st, 1995, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 7:32 P.M**_

I was on my first double date ever with Ricky at Chubbies when everything went downhill. It was not necessarily the fact that the other couple we decided to hang out with happened to be my parents- or maybe that did have something to do with it. It had more to do with the fact that at one point on our date, I had realized that I was not ready for my emotions and hormones to just burst out in front of everybody at Chubbies, especially given the fact that my teenage parents were there as well. Let me explain how it played out.

We were all hanging out at the back end of Chubbies playing pool (it was more like Ricky and Cory were trying to teach Topanga and I how to play pool as their excuse to put their arms around us) and I realized within the first two minutes that I was the worst person to teach how to play pool. I think it was my clumsiness and the fact that I'd never had a boy wrap his arms around me so nicely the way Ricky did that affected my hand coordination and my ability to concentrate on the ball (and not on Ricky's cologne). Why does that happen? Beats me.

I kept messing up with every shot but it didn't seem like Ricky really minded. He mainly smiled and encouraged me by saying that I was getting better (even though I knew that was just his nice way of saying that I shouldn't give up) and that I should keep trying. By then he should have been used to my clumsiness, and when I look back now it amazes me to think that he still liked me in spite of my many imperfections. I really should have appreciated so much more for that.

Meanwhile, my parents were being their lovely perfect selves. Cory was being even goofier on his date with Topanga, and as usual, Topanga would giggle at every mistake he would make, such as slurring his words out of nervousness and constantly tripping over his feet one too many times. It got to the point when while we were versing each other at pool (my parents vs. Ricky and I), when Cory received a kiss from Topanga on the cheek he accidentally scrapped the pool table with his pool stick. After that, the happy couple decided they would much rather play darts instead and left Ricky and I to play pool together.

It'd be nice if I could say that I wasn't only fixated on how well my parents' date was going but I honestly can't say that. Not because my date with Ricky was going bad or anything like that, it was more because I was memorized with how two people could love each other from infants into adulthood, and not have any problems down the road. No doubts about what they truly feel for each other. That was my parents. The concept of Cory and Topanga would haunt me through all of my existence.

"Do you wanna continue playing pool, Riley?" Ricky's question brought me back from my pondering.

"Wha?" I asked stupidly, completely forgetting the fact that I was supposed to be focusing on my date and not on my parents. I turned my concentration over to Ricky, who was only waiting patiently for my response. "Sorry, yeah I'd love to continue playing pool," I answered, smiling brightly.

"Awesome, I love teaching you," he said, smiling genuinely. I blushed as he wrapped his arms around me once again. His cologne scent gave me butterflies in my stomach.

Just as we were about to resume our pool playing, we heard an 'ow!' yelp from afar. We turned our heads to see that Cory had missed the dart target entirely and the dart landed on someone across the room.

Note to self: never give Dad any pointy objects that might hurt people.

"Sorry," Cory said, smiling weakly, seemingly embarrassed as we all turned to look at him. He turned to Topanga. "Maybe it's safer if we just talk."

Topanga nodded, completely agreeing with that plan. "Yeah," she said as they began to move over to a table to sit.

"Nobody ever got hurt talking," Cory commented. He then noted the way Topanga was hugging herself, attempting to keep warm. "Oh, are you cold?" he asked her, genuinely concerned.

"A little," she said rubbing her arms.

"Here," Cory said and without hesitation, took off his blue denim jacket and wrapped it around Topanga. Easily she was able to slip into the jacket.

She smiled brightly and sat down. "A perfect fit."

"Yeah, just like us."

I veered my attention for a second from the perfect couple to Ricky. I jumped at the thought of asking him what he thought of my parents. So I did.

"What do you think of-" It was as if Ricky was reading my mind.

"Cory and Topanga? I like them. They remind me a lot of us."

That comment really puzzled me. "What do you mean?"

He then began to elaborate. "They're not one of those couples that break up from the smallest of things. They're serious about each other. Just like we're serious about each other."

For one second it felt as if my mind shut down entirely and my body froze.

"W-we are?" That sounded way worse that I thought it would. "What I mean is, you're right about Cory and Topanga being serious about each other. They'll have a great future together. They'll live in New York and have a brownstone apartment with two kids whose names will be Auggie and-" I caught myself before slipping up my name in that sentence. I laughed nervously. "Maybe we should just continue playing pool-"

Ricky caught my eyes with his stare. "Riley?"

"...Yeah?"

"You seem to see a lot in Cory and Topanga's future, but what do you see in our future?"

"O-our future?" I stuttered.

"Yeah, like our future together."

I didn't answer. Instead I just forced a smile. In the background all I could hear was Topanga saying, "so Cory, are you feeling what I'm feeling?"

Cory's response was, "I think I am." A moment of silence. "Topanga?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you." Another moment of silence. This one didn't seem to be going well. "Did you hear what I said?" Cory asked a bit weakly.

"Yes. Can we go now?" Topanga said, getting off her seat and hurriedly rushing out of Chubbies. I turned around and watched as Topanga left. Cory didn't move an inch. He looked just as confused as I felt. I then turned back to look at Ricky as he expected me to answer his question. Instead, all I could do was do nothing.

"What just happened?" I asked myself out-loud.

* * *

Now that I've had to think over what happened last night, I went to school today to talk to Cory about what happened after he left with Topanga. Cory was by his locker before homeroom, which was in the norms of his daily routine.

I approached Cory apprehensively. "Hi."

"Hey," Cory greeted back, seemingly distracted by his own thoughts. He looked up from his locker to see Shawn limping down the stairs.

"What happened to you?" Cory asked as he shut his locker.

Shawn looked annoyed and confused at the same time. "It's the weirdest thing. Last night I'm sitting at Chubbie's, right? I'm looking deep into Paula Balboa's chestnut eyes. I lean forward, about to make my move, when some yahoo hits me in the butt with a dart."

Cory looked at me and then reverted his eyes back to Shawn and chuckled nervously. "You-you, you didn't see who it was?"

"No."

"Hey, didn't you hit someone-" I was about to say when my mouth was covered by Cory's hand.

"Lot of sick people out there, man," Cory told his friend once he left go of my mouth.

Shawn decided to ignore our weird behavior. "So, how was your night with the lovely Topanga?" he asked smirking.

"It was good," Cory said, clearly lying straight through his teeth. I gave him a look. "Well, I- I may have kinda gotten caught up in the moment and said some things that maybe I shouldn't have said."

"Cor, did you get emotional with Topanga?" Shawn asked, knowing very well that he did.

"It was hard not to. I mean, she looked so beautiful," Cory passionately explained.

Shawn's eyes widened. "You didn't tell her that, did you?"

"N-no!" Cory tried to look disgusted.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Wait, what's wrong with Cory telling Topanga she looks beautiful?"

Shawn rolled his eyes at me as if the reason was the most obvious thing in the world. "Riley, it's a guy thing."

"What do you mean?"

Shawn rested his hand on my shoulder. If I had been Maya at that moment, he wouldn't be alive right now. Luckily I wasn't Maya.

"Guys don't say girls look beautiful. Just like girls don't say they get jealous of guys looking at other girls. It's dating etiquette. It's all in the rule book," he said coolly.

I shrugged off Shawn's hand off my shoulder. "You mean 'Perky Magazine'?" I said, thinking back to the time when Stuart had given Shawn the magazine in order to learn about girls back in the sixth grade. Wow, that was a long time ago.

"I said, 'I love you'," Cory blurted out.

The way Shawn reacted was a bit similar to how I imagined he would in my head. With the exception that it was way worse than I had anticipated.

Shawn gasped exaggeratedly and clutched his chest with his hand. "You idiot! Once word gets around what you told Topanga, every girl's gonna wanna hear it."

Cory raised an eyebrow as he watched his friend go insane. "What? 'I love you'?"

Now it was Cory's turn to get his mouth covered, except it was by Shawn's hand. "Sh! You're like a stinking canary!"

"Uh, I highly doubt that anybody's gonna care about Cory saying 'I love you' to Topanga," I spoke, confident in my words. I was wrong as usual.

Seconds later, Eric appeared and Shawn blabbed everything to him. Eric freaked out the same way as Shawn did at Cory. Then he proceeded to recite his 'I love you' to his latest girlfriend Christie. He couldn't even remember her last name! Cory and I were just confused kids. I was starting to believe that we were very similar thinking-wise, but put in different ends of the same problem. Cory was the one that said 'I love you' to Topanga, and I was the one avoiding Ricky for asking me about what I think of our future. Together.

After Eric left, Shawn turned back to his best friend and shook his head disapprovingly. "Thanks to you, dating as we know it at John Adams High is over."

Maya arrived at her locker and bend over to pick up her notebook when she dropped it on the floor. As she was coming back up, Shawn was already behind her and mustered up the courage to tap her on her shoulder.

Maya turned around and stared at Shawn unimpressed. "What do you want?"

"Maya, I love you," he blurted out abruptly. _Rest in peace Shawn. We'll miss you._

Instead of Maya killing Shawn for saying that to her, all she did was continue to stare at Shawn with a bored look on her face. "Gee, thanks. Bye." Maya said, slamming her locker shut and walking away, most likely not to homeroom.

Shawn walked back to us sighing. "See? Nothing good ever comes with saying 'I love you' to a girl."

"Everything's all right with me and Topanga," Cory explained.

I thought back to Topanga's shocked expression when Cory told her that he loved her. In all honesty it wasn't a good sign. And that was coming from happy-go-lucky-Riley.

"I really hope so," I muttered under my breath.

Shawn stared at Cory and everything next he said dramatically. "From this moment on, Topanga will be a gushing, love-struck puppy, hanging on to your every word."

As if on cue, Topanga walked past us. Cory kind of stepped in her tracks to get her to acknowledge him.

Topanga looked up at Cory and then looked down nervously. "I really have to go." Then she left in a rush.

Cory had a sappy look on his face as he watched Topanga disappear down the hallways of the school. "Riley?"

My lips tightened, knowing what I had to do. "Yep, I'm going."

I went over to catch up to Topanga.

* * *

Once I finally caught up to Topanga (she's a really fast walker), I stopped her to talk. "Topanga, why are you avoiding Cory?"

"I'm not avoiding him. Who says I am?" she lied, trying to seem like nothing was wrong between them.

"He told you he loved you yesterday and you didn't say anything back. What does that mean?"

Topanga sat down on a bench. "It means I'm just thinking. Haven't you've ever felt confused about your feelings for someone Riley?"

I thought about it. Then I thought about it some more. The thing with Ricky was that my feelings for him didn't count in this matter. Even if I did want to be with him, I couldn't be selfish. I had to think about Maya, my parents... and Lucas Friar. The boy I thought I had feelings for back home. If Maya and I hadn't gotten transported, who knows what my relationship with Lucas would have been like? Did I still feel the same way about him since he asked me out for Valentine's Day? Did I ever like him at all?

I nodded, sitting down next to her. "Yeah. Ricky told me yesterday that he really likes me and... I couldn't say anything to him because I don't know how I feel about him yet. But that's an entirely different case. You love Cory, I know you love him. Why is it so hard for you to tell him?"

Topanga groaned. "Love is so serious. I like Cory, but I don't think I could tell him that I love him. What does 'I love you' even mean?"

I shrugged. "I don't know."

* * *

After fourth period, I witnessed Shawn 'bull-rushing' Cory just as he was about to give Topanga flowers. I rolled my eyes at how silly the boys looked.

It was no secret that I'd been avoiding Ricky all day today. And it was inevitable that I would surely bump into him at lunch. I just had to make sure I was prepared for whatever was coming.

Once Shawn got rid of the flowers that Cory was planning on giving Topanga (he gave them to a jock who looked way too happy to be receiving flowers in my opinion), Shawn proceeded to give Cory the worst advice I'd ever heard from someone. "Look, Cory, I've been doing some thinking." Shawn paused to squint his eyes and yell 'ow!' as if thinking caused pain to his head. "The problem with your relationship is Topanga's got all the power now."

"What power?" Cory asked naively.

"The power you give up when you say, 'I love you'," Shawn replied. "The longer you can go in a relationship without saying those words, the more power you hold. They're after us, Cor. Be warned."

By then I had had enough of Shawn's ignorance.

"Relationships aren't based on power, Shawn," I said, crossing my arms defensively. Not in a million years would past Riley ever stand up for herself the way I was doing right then to Shawn. I guess I was starting to gradually become more like the better side of Maya.

Shawn blinked. "How would you know?"

"Well, haven't you've ever been in a relationship where you didn't care about having 'power'?"

Shawn furrowed his eyebrows in deep thought. "Maya's the only girl that comes to mind..."

_Shawn is officially impossible._

* * *

I knew what awaited me at lunch, but I decided not to skip the chance to possibly see Topanga tell Cory that she loved him back. It was either that or hide inside my locker for the entire lunch period.

When I arrived at the already crowded cafeteria, I spotted Ricky sitting down at a table by himself about to start digging into his mash potatoes. He looked up to see me entering the cafeteria. He waved me over. Hesitantly, I went over.

"Hi," I said, feeling an eruption of butterflies inside my stomach. I stood over his table.

"Hi," Ricky replied back, smiling at me. "Can we talk?"

I nodded. "Yeah I think we need to."

"About last night-"

I cut him off. "I'm really sorry I left you hanging. I didn't mean to, it's just what you said caught me off guard."

Ricky nodded. "I completely understand."

"Really?"

"Of course. I probably shouldn't have asked you that question. I'm sorry if I scared you. I just really like you a lot."

I smiled, my lips tightened around the corners of my mouth. It was a pained smile, not one that I had on my face too often. "I really like you a lot too, Ricky. You're the first person I met in the orphanage, and you made me feel welcome. Then when you came to John Adams, we did things together, and I started to really like you. You were there for me. You were my first serious boyfriend and my first kiss. But I always want you around. The future is a very scary place for me. You'll always be special to me."

Ricky smiled sincerely. "I understand Riley. The future isn't easy for me either."

I sighed, beginning to feel frustrated with myself. "You're the sweetest boy in the entire world! How can you be so sweet and like someone like me? It's not fair for you to continue to like me when I can't like you back." And here it goes. "That's why I think we should just be friends."

Ricky looked away from me for a couple of seconds and then looked reverted his eyes back to me. "If that's what you want Riles, I respect your decision. We've always been friends and that won't ever change."

I sighed with relief. "I'm happy you feel that way."

For a brief second my eyes left concentration from Ricky and instead focused on the conversation that my parents were having in the middle of the cafeteria.

I turned to Ricky and smiled sheepishly. "Would you excuse me for just one second?"

By the time I approached Cory, Topanga had already walked out. She had given Cory a petty kiss on the cheek before she left and my instincts told me that that was not a good sign at all.

"Cory, what just happened between you and Topanga?" I asked my father/friend worriedly.

Initially Cory chose not to respond for he was still in shock by the previous events that had occurred. "She just broke up with me."

Sadness appeared in my eyes. "What?"

* * *

Shawn dragged Cory into Turner's empty classroom in order to figure out what was wrong with Topanga. I already knew what was wrong. She told me she was afraid to love Cory because she didn't understand the meaning of love. And I just broke up with Ricky and he compassionate towards my feelings.

I had followed Cory and Shawn to Turner's classroom right before lunch ended. I needed to confront Cory about this, but I was afraid of possibly changing something in the future.

I stood by the door of the classroom. To no surprise, I found Cory pacing back and forth in the classroom while Shawn was leaning on one of the desks trying to come up with something.

"This makes no sense," Cory ranted. Sweet, beautiful, never-hurt-anyone Topanga Lawrence dumped me."

"I was wrong," Shawn said fixated on himself.

"I thought we'd be together forever," Cory said to himself, hoping Shawn was listening.

"I thought I'd never be wrong," Shawn continued his own rant to himself.

Cory stopped in his tracks to glare at his best friend. "This isn't about you."

"Wrong again," he responded. "Cor, let's reenact the night of the date. Maybe there's something I missed."

Cory began to explain what happened the night before. Shawn told Cory to pretend he was Topanga and reenact what happened with him. In a mixture of amusement and horror I watched as my father and his best friend pretend to be a couple. No wonder Mom considered how Dad and Uncle Shawn met as their 'first date'.

My thoughts were interrupted when Shawn asked his curly-haired best friend, "Cory, how do you feel about me?" Oh my gosh, they were holding hands!

Cory had his eyes closed. He opened them and looked into Shawn's eyes nervously. "Well, I-I want you to know."

"Yeah," Shawn encouraged as Topanga.

"That I love you," Cory finished off as he looked behind Shawn with horror. I turned around to see that he wasn't staring at me but at the mob of students behind me that had watched the whole thing reenactment. The worse thing of it all was that jock that Shawn gave Cory's flowers to stomped off by seeing Shawn and Cory 'together'.

Shawn played it off a lot cooler than Cory did. He scoffed at the crowd of curious teens. "Can't a couple of guys have a little privacy?"

Everybody quickly hurried back to minding their own businesses. I stayed back and walked into the classroom.

"Cory, I have something to tell you," I said firmly.

Of course Shawn wouldn't let me say it.

"Whatever it is Riley, can't it wait till later? We're trying to find out why Topanga broke up with Cory." Little did they both know that I had the answer. Shawn turned back to Cory. "So what did you do after Topanga said she loved you?"

Cory shrugged his shoulders. "Well, she never actually said it back."

"She didn't?"

"No. Isn't that strange?"

Shawn smiled happily. "No, this is great. You left out the most important part of the puzzle."

"So now you can help me?" Cory asked hopefully.

"Are you kidding me? It's over."

The bell rung for class to start. _Great, when am I ever going to tell Cory?_

* * *

For some strange reason the universe wasn't letting me tell Cory what he needed to hear. That Topanga was confused about her feelings for him, but deep down inside she knew that she loved him, and soon enough he would know about it. I saw Cory leaving his house and heading for Topanga's house at dawn and decided to follow close behind him. I know, I'm weird right? It wasn't enough that Cory was going to go confront Topanga, I needed to get myself involved too.

Cory arrived to Topanga's backyard and stood outside of Topanga's window. Before I let him break into her room, I grabbed Cory's shoulder with one hand and tried to cover his mouth with the other one to stop him from screaming. He immediately bit my hand (not too hard thankfully) and I let go.

I shook my hand hard and squealed. "Ew, germs!"

So that didn't go as planned.

Cory turned himself to see me standing behind him. "Riley, you scared me. What are you doing here?"

I wiped my hand on my jeans with disgust. I needed to change the subject. "The better question is mister, what are you doing outside of Topanga's window? Explain that."

"I want all my stuff back," Cory said simply.

"You're not going to try to get her back?"

"That's always been part of my plan. She'll probably try to kick me out before then but I'm a very persistent guy."

I chuckled. "So I've noticed."

Cory nodded awkwardly. "Guess it's time to go in now." He turned his back to me and was about to charge towards Topanga's window before I stopped him.

"Cory?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell her what 'I love you' means. I really think she needs to hear it from you. I think that's the only way she'll be able to finally realize that she loves you too."

"Okay," Cory agreed. "Riley? How do you know so much about this stuff? I mean, when I hear Shawn's advice, most of the stuff he says doesn't make any sense to me. But when you give me advice, it's like it all clicks in my head."

I forced a smile. "Let's just say I don't know a lot when it comes to love, but I do know when two people are meant to be together forever. I'll never lose faith in you guys. Trust me, I don't know a lot of things. I'm just as confused as you are. We are both here to meet the world dad- I mean Cory."

"Everything going alright in your love life?" _Wow, I can't believe we are having a real father/daughter/friend moment. _

"Remember when I just said I don't know a lot when it comes to love? Yeah."

Cory gave me a hug before climbing into Topanga's window to tell her what love meant to him. As I predicted, they got back together and Topanga finally said she loved Cory for the first time. It was the start of something new for my parents. I, on the other hand, had no one to say I love you to, but that was my own decision. Later on I would see what came out of my decision of breaking up with Ricky. Not all would be good things.

* * *

**Author's Note: Honestly, I don't have enough energy left in me to tell you guys how sorry I am for not updating in almost two months, but I know you guys understand my situation. I'll be graduating high school in less than three months (crazy right?!) so I have a lot of other things I have to take care of before this story. School comes first. Remember the good ole' times when I was in grade 11 and I updated every Sunday? I hope I can go back to that routine eventually. Thanks for compassion and good energy. You're the reason why I do what I do. :) **

**I hope you all had a great Easter and let me know what you thought of Legacy. Like seriously, I need to know your thoughts. :) Subscribe to my YouTube channel: Mimi1239 because I make videos for this fanfic, reactions/reviews to GMW episodes and a lot more! Plus I got to vlog when I met Will Friedle last month which was SOO FREAKING COOL! :D**

**SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: I'm currently in the works of creating a Seven Years in the Nineties game on Episodes. How FREAKING exciting is that?! :) If you want more details on it, head over to my Twitter and tweet me with questions if you're interested in learning more about it. It won't be available probably until the end of this month. **

**Reminder: Check out the link to my After Talk in my bio and in the DB of the video you'll be able to find special stuff I made for this specific chapter (comic strip, Tumblr blog). Links to everything will also be available on my Twitter (MimiFanFic1239).**

**(Last thing I promise) Tell me what you think of this chapter in a review! Next chapter will be centered around Maya, Shawn and a pig (WHAT?!) Thanks guys, see you next week! (I hope).**

**-Mimi1239**


	43. I'm Not the Mother of Your Pig!

**What's up guys? Welcome to ANOTHER chapter of Seven Years in the Nineties titled: I'm Not the Mother of Your Pig! Yes, it's been a couple of weeks since the last chapter, but I'm finally getting my life on track again. Do you guys watch iiSuperwomanii on YouTube? She's my inspiration for everything and just last month I got to go to the screening of her movie, A Trip to Unicorn Island. We ate skittles, I asked a question (say what?) and if you're interested in hearing my whole experience about seeing her, I'll be making a video about it on my channel: Mimi1239, as well as I've released my vlog about the experience. Make sure you check it out! :)**

**Chapter Talk: This is going to be another one of those chapters which most of you guys will find cute (Shaya) and at the same time, giggle like an idiot because I certainly did while writing this lol. :) Chapter inspired by: This Little Piggy.**

**REMEMBER WHEN YOU GET TO MY AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END TO READ THE WHOLE THING BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT! **

**I'd LOVE to give a shout-out to those who reviewed my previous chapter: Chloe, Derek, Guest, Guest, Guest, Nat-Marie, Guest, Chelsea, Guest, AliciaMae26, Joyfish, Lightrose8860, FunFanFicForYou, Ghost adventure lover23, JoySeph13, Melon-Lord-of-Fire, CabbieLoverSAC22, and gmwfanforlife.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World nor its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

_Maybe telling Shawn's new best friend about me liking him had not been best idea. _

Maya's Point of View

_**Sunday, November 12th, 1995, Philadelphia **_

_**Past time, 5:39 P.M**_

I was lying on the living room couch with my feet up on the arm rest reading _Charlotte's Web, _a book I had found in the school's library to do my book report on that looked about accurate to my leisure reading-level comprehension (another way of saying this was just my way of avoiding all the Dickens', Eyre's and other 'good classical literature' that Turner wanted to shove down our throats). Not that I could ever think Turner would ever let me get away with doing my book report on a children's book, but after starting the first paragraph, I became invested in the story of the pig and the spider. Besides, it had pictures.

Since my body was faced directly towards the main door of the apartment, I didn't even have to move an inch when Shawn barged in carrying a small pig wrapped around in an old, crusty blanket. Conveniently, I had front row seats to the disaster the universe had slyly put in front of me. _Speaking of pigs,_ w_hy can't Shawn's life ever be normal? _Says the girl who time-traveled to the nineties.

"Maya look! I have a surprise for you!" Shawn said excitedly, gently holding the pig in his arms as if it were his new-born baby. It was definitely a sight that would forever stick in my mind whenever I had to describe Shawn Hunter.

"Hmm, let me guess Shawn, a pig?" the tone in my voice dripped with sarcasm.

His head bobbed with even more excitement if that were possible. "Yes! How did you know?" _It truly amazes me the amount of stupidity that can exist inside this kid's brain. _

I rolled off the couch and settled _Charlotte's Web _on the coffee table. I was just over slightly annoyed by the fact that Shawn and a pig had interrupted my book, and that was going for someone who disliked reading. I wouldn't consider myself a pig hater, or an animal hater for that matter (although I'd never give up bacon for the world) but I'd never picture someone like Shawn Hunter, a heart-breaker (not my words) to have a desire to keep a pig as a pet. There had to be more to this story. Maybe Shawn just saw the pig as a chick-magnet? Again, not my words. Or what if Shawn just needed a friend since Cory had evidently been spending more time with Topanga and the pig was his way of replacing an empty hole in his heart? Nah, the chick-magnet thing seemed more probable for Shawn.

"Where did you find the pig, Hunter?" I asked as Shawn moved over to the kitchen. I followed after him and sat in one of the stools as he stood behind the counter rocking the pig in his arms. The pig instantly squealed loudly when I said 'pig'.

"Hey, his name is Little Cory. He doesn't like to be called a pig," Shawn answered defensively. "I found him back at my trailer park. Turner said I can keep him. He's staying with us."

I scoffed amusingly. "Little Cory is staying with us? Shawn, a pig is a farm animal, not a pet. A dog is a pet, haven't you ever thought of getting one of those?"

Shawn glared at me as if I'd just spatted out the most offensive thing I could ever say to his face. "Says the girl who used to have a ferret as a pet."

My eyebrows narrowed in rage. "How did you know about that?" There was only one explanation for it, and it was not in my favor. "Have you been reading my diary?" If he had went through my diary he would definitely know everything by now.

A sly smirk appeared on his face. "You mentioned something about how you used to have a pet ferret like two years ago. Don't worry honey, I don't have to read your diary to know that you write about me."

I almost wanted to puke. Sure, I had written about him, but he didn't deserve the satisfaction of having me admit it. "You're such a pig. And I wasn't talking to the pig this time."

* * *

I was still fully convinced that Shawn was only using Little Cory to attract girls. I mean, why else would he bring him to school the next day? _Hmm, probably because he can't leave a farm animal in the apartment with no care or supervision? You're losing it Hart. _Okay, point taken.

Shawn walked alongside me as we entered the school. Shawn had Little Cory waiting for him outside the door of the main entrance. I had to admit though, for a pig, Little Cory seemed to have some street-smart in him.

We arrived at our lockers. "Feeny's gonna find out about the pig, you know," I taunted.

Shawn narrowed his eyes at me. "How's he gonna find out?

I shrugged. "That's easy, I'll tell him." Over Shawn's shoulder talking to a teacher, I spotted our beloved principal myself. "And look at that, he's standing right over there." I nodded my head towards Feeny.

Shawn looked behind him and eyes reverted back to me. "You're kidding me, right? Maya, if you do this, Little Cory's gonna get kicked outta school! He won't be able to go to college or get a job. Do you really want that for our child?"

I laughed in his face. "Our child? Shawn, I'm not the mother of your pig! Little Cory doesn't belong in a school environment."

"Okay look, if you _don't_ tell Feeny about our pig-"

"_Your _pig."

"_My _pig, I'll do your homework for an entire week."

I scoffed, wrapping my arms over my chest. "I'm not failing English for a pig, Hunter. Here's what's gonna happen instead. For a month, you'll stop bringing your dates home every Saturday, do my laundry and set the table once in a while."

And the cocky grin returned. "Then how am I supposed to make you jealous?"

My eye started twitching. "Alright, the deal's off-"

Suddenly, Mr. Feeny appeared in front of us asking how our mornings were going so far.

"They're going great! Right, Maya?" Shawn lied clearly through his teeth. I could never understand how Shawn could easily lie to Mr. Feeny without feeling even remotely guilty about it later. Sure, I used to be the same way with Mr. Matthews, but Mr. Feeny was a hard person for me to lie to. Especially after all that's happened.

My eyelids were half-closed as I looked at Shawn Hunter. _They don't pay me enough to do this. Well, they don't pay me at all. _

"Just swell." An idea suddenly popped in my head. "Do you know if they'll be serving bacon today at lunch, sir?"

Mr. Feeny gave me a puzzled look. _What an odd question to ask him, or anybody for that matter._

"No Miss Hart, I don't believe we've ever served bacon at this school before. We've always followed a healthy meal plan for the students. Why do you ask?"

I smirked as I saw Shawn starting to sweat bullets. "No reason," I shrugged. "I guess that just means _pigs_ or cows, or any other type of animal isn't allowed to be in school, I mean,_ served_ at school. Right?"

Mr. Feeny had a hard time following what I was saying, but I couldn't blame him. It was all to get back at Shawn anyway.

"Yes, that is correct Miss Hart. Do you have any questions about specials?" I was fully aware Mr. Feeny was using a sarcastic tone, but I decided to respond back anyway.

"Nope, I think I'm good. I'm sorry for _hogging _up your time sir," I said as Shawn glared at me. "Can't wait for that History lesson today."

Mr. Feeny cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable and puzzled by the conversation. "Well yes, look forward to a pop test today Miss Hart." Then he walked away in confusion.

Shawn had a glare in his eyes that obviously meant he was ticked off by what happened.

I tried my best to look as innocent as possible. "What's wrong Hunter? Something I said?"

"I'm just going to forget that you did that because I have other things in my mind to worry about," he said. _Sure, like getting girls' numbers after showing them how well he could take care of a farm animal while at school. _

I smirked. "As long as you're doing my laundry for an entire month, I don't care if you even forget my name."

Shortly after I said that, Cory showed up at his locker and Shawn quickly went to go get Little Cory for show-and-tell. By the time he came back I had already left to hang out with T.K. beside her locker.

"'Sup Hart, ya going to class today?" T.K. asked as she leaned against her locker with her arms crossed over her chest in a very cool manner. If there was one person I aspired to dress and act like, it was T.K. Strange how I could think that when a couple of months prior, the only person I'd ever secretly wanted to be more like was Riley. T.K. was nothing like Riley. Maybe that was good for a change.

I followed T.K.'s current position as we eyed the hallway. "Yeah, or Mr. Feeny will never let me outta detention this time." I paused and smirked. "And if I know you, you're skipping."

There was no way T.K. could ever convince me that she wanted to attend class, even if she spontaneously brought a pen and a notebook to school one day.

T.K. responded back with a smart comeback, but I was too distracted watching Riley and Minkus enter homeroom together. _Hmm, Riley and Minkus? What's going on there?_

News got around to me when Riley and Ricky had broken up. Not that I believed that it was anybody's business but their own, but I was really starting to warm up to Ricky. The sad aspect of having to find out from random people about a break up that occurred with your best friend was exactly that. She never confined in me.

"Aye, Hart." T.K. elbowed me. "What's up with Shawn and that pig over 'ere?" she said pointing to Shawn and Little Cory across the halls.

I shrugged like I didn't care.

"Wish I knew," I muttered to myself.

* * *

After the whole deal with Shawn introducing Little Cory to Cory, Topanga showed up and told Shawn upfront what she thought of him keeping a pig in Turner's apartment. Not good things. As T.K. and I watched the argument unfold before us, T.K. and I decided to make a friendly little bet to see who would win the argument. I bet on Topanga because knowing this past Topanga and Riley's lawyer mother Topanga, I knew she always got what she fought for. Shawn on the other hand, well he would just have to deal with saying goodbye to Little Cory very soon.

T.K. and I sat in the cafeteria during lunch sharing fries as we watched Shawn and Little Cory eating. It amazed me how smart the pig was to be able to balance himself on a chair, hover himself on the table and munch on a sandwich at the same time.

T.K. nodded in their direction as she spoke to me. "So ya don't think Shawn will convince Topanga of letting the pig stay with him? Interestin' Hart."

I furrowed my eyebrows suspiciously. "What's so interesting about that?"

"Ya don't want Shawn keeping the pig. Need I say more?"

I nodded. "Yes, need you say more."

T.K. sighed as if her short and vague explanation was already clear enough. "Ya don't want Shawn keeping the pig because he's spending more time with the pig rather than with you."

I had to laugh at that. Or at least pretend I thought her idea was ridiculous. "Why should I be jealous about that? I'm not his girlfriend."

T.K. smirked, raising an eyebrow as if she'd caught me in a lie. "I never said anything about you being jealous."

I shrugged as I bit the tip of a fry I was holding in my hand. "That's what you implied."

I looked over to Shawn's table as I caught a girl from our homeroom approaching him and Little Cory. She sat down in an empty seat, crossed one leg over the other, and twirled a strand of her long brunette hair on her finger tips. I looked down at my hand to see that it was covered in fry bits and grease. Realization hit me. Anger had subconsciously taken over my actions and I had crushed the fry in my hand. Yep, that didn't seem like I was jealous _at all. _

I tried to cover up my deed by trying to hide the fry bits in my napkin but T.K. had already caught on to what I was doing. "I see it now. Ya don't want Shawn using the pig to hang out with chicks. Jealous or ya think Shawn doesn't really care about the pig as much as he says he does. I think you're jealous of that lil' brunette talking to the Hunter boy."

_I was jealous of the lil' brunette talking to the Hunter boy. I mean, Shawn. _Why was it easier for me to admit it in my head? I didn't need T.K. telling me how I felt. So I denied it. At least I was planning to until the Hunter boy decided to show up seeking my help for something.

Shawn rested his fists over the table awkwardly. "Maya, I need a favor from you."

"What a surprise. You usually ask me for a favor in sixth period Health class," I teased, trying to show T.K. that I didn't like Shawn. _It was probably making it seemed that I liked him more though. _

Shawn glared at me. "I'm serious. I just got detention with Feeny-" I cut him off.

"Nice, another shocker," I shot back with sarcasm. "What's that already ten times this month? And it's not even mid-November yet."

Shawn rolled his eyes before explaining his situation. "If I show up with Little Cory to detention after school, Feeny will bust me for bringing him to school. Could you walk Little Cory home and take care of him until I get home?"

I had to first think about my answer. If I said no, T.K. would think for sure that I didn't like Little Cory because of his chick-magnet-abilities, thus confirming that I was jealous, and if I said yes, none of that would happen yet I'd be living a lie. As I said before, it wasn't that I didn't like Little Cory as a pig, but I didn't really think it was fair for the pig to be living under improper animal care and with the wrong environment. I was still curious as to why Turner had been okay with letting Shawn keep a pig in his apartment in the first place, but that was something I would soon find out for myself.

"You're setting the table tonight," I gritted through my teeth. That basically meant yes.

_There was no way Topanga would let Shawn keep the pig._

* * *

After the last bell rung and the school day was over, Shawn handed the pig over to my care. Before we left, Shawn explained to me the stuff I needed to do for Little Cory once we got home. How to prepare his bottle and what book to read him for story time. It surprised me how much knowledge Shawn already knew in a day of how to raise a pig. It seemed like he was really taking this pig thing seriously, but I still wasn't entirely convinced that he could manage it on his own.

Little Cory truly did have street-smarts. Shawn had told me not to put him on a leash, and I was hesitant but I didn't. I was a bit scared that Little Cory, not knowing his way around the city of Philadelphia, would automatically think it was a good idea to chase cars and turn himself into road-kill bacon. That never happened though. Instead, Little Cory walked straight home as if he'd known the route like the back of his hand- I mean, pig hand? Ugh.

It also caught me off guard when Shawn's pig had found the right apartment. _Do pigs have elephant memories? _Okay, why was I asking myself this question?

It would have impressed me a billion times more if Little Cory was able to unlock the door, but he was only a pig, so I did it instead.

After I unlocked the door, Little Cory hurried and jumped on top of the couch where I usually plopped myself to watch TV. I slightly glared at the pig for coincidentally (or maybe _not_) sitting in _my_ spot. I supposed it was his way of telling me he was hungry and I needed to feed him. _Wow, I got all of that from a pig sitting on the couch? You're really are losing it Hart._

I tossed my bag next to the pig on the couch and walked towards the kitchen counter. I looked through the cupboards in order to search for Little Cory's bottle. I found it next to some plates the way Shawn said I would. Then I proceeded to take out the milk from the fridge and warm it up the way Shawn had instructed me to do. If I had the technology at the tips of my fingers like I did in 2015, I could have relied on it to teach me how to warm up a bottle for a pig. But I wasn't in 2015. That too was another thing that admired me not only about Shawn, but about everybody from this century. They almost did not need the technology to think.

After I had finished warming up the bottle for the pig, I made my way to Little Cory who had been sitting on the couch watching TV. _Wow, even pigs watched television._

I held up the bottle to the pig's mouth and gently stuck the bottle as he began to suck on the milk. It was funny yet odd at the same time realizing the situation I found myself in. Taking care of Shawn's baby alone in the apartment while he sat in detention. Yeah, I could very well think of my situation as the 'kid version' to what my mom had gone through with my dad when I was just a baby. _That got too dark._

Removing that memory I had successfully suppressed for so long, I brought myself back my attention to my current task. Feeding Little Cory. Once the pig had chugged down all of the milk, I went back to the kitchen and settled the bottle inside the stacked-with-mountains-of-plates-sink. _I'll let Shawn wash the dishes when he comes home._

Successfully feeding Little Cory without getting milk up-chuck on my shirt, check. Next on the list was to read Little Cory a story (and hoped he fell asleep until Shawn got home).

Not gonna lie, it was very awkward and weird trying to come up with a story to tell a pig. Shawn suggested that I tell the 'five-little-piggies' story, but once I started doing that, Little Cory began to squeal and even did so much as to bury his head into the couch cushions. When I stopped telling the story, Little Cory seized his squealing and lifted his head out of the cushions. That to me indicated that for whatever reason, the pig hated that story and didn't like me telling it to him. So I decided to try something different.

"Let me tell you a real story called... 'Secret Admirer'. I have this friend... my friend likes this boy that flirts with her a lot but he flirts with other girls as well. He's a player. She doesn't know how long she's liked this boy, and only recently have they moved in together and gotten really close. My friend found this poem, a poem that she thinks was written to her by him. The problem is, she can't like him back because it'll disrupt the balance of the universe and everything attached to it."

That explanation just made my problem sound so bizarre_. Well that's because it IS bizarre Hart._

Little Cory rested his pig hand on my lap as he squealed softly. It was as if he was trying to sympathize with me. _Could he sense what I was feeling? Was I that transparent? Could Shawn see through me too?_

As I thought that, Shawn came through the door with a big smile on his face. Little Cory turned himself around and once he saw Shawn had arrived, he squealed happily.

"How's my Little Cory doing?" Shawn cooed to his pig and petted him as if he hadn't seen him in years. "I missed you buddy."

I stood up from the couch, probably looking puzzled. "Aren't you supposed to be in detention still?"

The pig jumped into Shawn's arm.

Shawn shrugged as he carried his pig. "Feeny let us out early."

I wasn't buying it. "Feeny never lets out anybody early. Spill it Hunter, what really happened."

Shawn smirked as he rocked his pig like a baby. "Your friend, the little short girl with the leather jacket who thinks you're _so_ in love with me-"

"I'm not," I said plainly, almost believing it myself._ Great, now T.K. will never let me live this down._

The pig let out a squeal as if trying to say 'not true!' _Maybe telling Shawn's new best friend about me liking him had not been the best idea. _

_"Shut up pig," I mentally said._

"She somehow got Feeny to leave the class in a hurry and next thing we know, we get to leave detention early. Your friend said I don't owe her anything."

Not surprised that she would say that considering how she knew that if Topanga found out about Shawn getting himself into detention instead of taking care of Little Cory, she would no doubt call animal control and report the pig.

I forced a smile as I clasped my hands, moving around Shawn cuddled with the pig to reach the front door. "As long as you're here now, I'm going to Chubbies. Oh, and remember, it's your turn to wash the dishes today," I said, winking at him as I closed the door behind me.

* * *

Alone I sat in a booth at Chubbies snacking on some fries as I observed the teens that walked by. I wanted to be alone with my thoughts for a while so that I could re-evaluate the events of today. Maybe I really was wrong about Shawn. I had to be. Nobody is that excited to come home to see someone unless they really loved them. And Shawn was most happy when he was around the pig.

Just as I was thinking these thoughts, I saw Shawn and Little Cory entering Chubbies and going to the pool table area at the back. Cory and Topanga followed behind them. They walked past me and didn't notice me at the booth so they didn't say hi.

I stood up and was about to go to them when I discovered Riley and Minkus sitting in the booth in front of me. I froze. _How long have they been there? _They hadn't been there when I got there, but there they were. Hanging out. It was strange picturing Riley and Farkle's dad hanging out like friends. Sure, they were similar-ish in personality, but it was Farkle's dad for crying out loud!

Since their booth was in front of me, Riley had seen me stand up. Our eyes connected as she shrunk back uncomfortably in her seat. When we were 'best friends' we could tell each other everything and even sense how the other was feeling just by giving each other a secret 'look'. Now I couldn't get that same vibe from Riley. Yes I could sense she was feeling awkward seeing as I had caught her hanging out with Minkus, but I wasn't entirely sure if she thought I was upset with her for doing so.

Riley said something to Minkus whom I could only see the back of as she excused herself from their table. I sat back down in my seat as she came over to sit across from me in my booth.

"Hi," my brunette friend breathed, smiling.

I nodded my head slowly. "Hey."

Riley turned her head to look at the back room of Chubbies where Shawn and Little Cory were. "I... heard about Shawn's pig from Topanga. I know she doesn't agree with Shawn keeping the pig in the apartment."

"That's right," I said, curious to see where she was going with this.

"I told her that I think Shawn should keep the pig. You probably already guessed that though."

I smiled. "You know me so well, pumpkin."

She smiled back. "You wanna know why I think that?"

"I'm sure you're gonna tell me right now."

Riley's smile turned into a sad smile. "I asked Mr. Turner why he let Shawn keep Little Cory. His response, Shawn needs a friend. Cory's always there for him, but Shawn needs a confidant whom he can talk to that will just listen. Little Cory was abandoned by his owners at the trailer park. Shawn saw that Little Cory needed him. Mr. Turner told me that he knew that Shawn needed the pig more than the pig needed him though."

What Riley had said made me realize Turner was right for letting Shawn keep the pig. It made me realize that I was completely wrong about Shawn's intentions and now I knew for sure he deserved to keep Little Cory.

I looked down at my folded hands. "You're right. I should have known better. We all need that friend who will listen to us and love us no matter what. Right Riles?"

Oh, the irony of the situation.

Riley nodded, and I could sense she knew what I meant by that. "Right peaches."

* * *

The very next day I had heard from Shawn that Cory sided with Topanga on the whole pig issue instead of with him. I could tell he wasn't really angry at Cory for doing so, I bet if Shawn was put in the same position he would have done the same thing.

After we arrived home from school, Shawn put Little Cory inside a tub which rested on the kitchen counter to give him a bath. Normally at this time I would have hid in my room and continued reading 'Charlotte's Web' or plopped myself in front of the couch to watch some TV but this time I decided that I would help Shawn bathe the pig.

"Alright Hunter, let me help," I sighed, rolling up my sleeves and lathered up my hands in soap.

Shawn looked at me suspiciously. "You mean you're going to put your soapy hands on my hair and mess up my good hair day?"

I rolled my eyes and gritted my teeth. "No dimwit, I'm going to help you bathe Little Cory."

"Why?"

"Because I wanna be a good pig mother, okay?" I said, starting to get a little irritated with Shawn's interrogation. _It's not like this is so unlike me to help... Okay it was. _I mean, since Little Cory was going to be living with us, I might as well help Shawn with something.

I pushed Shawn to the side so that I could bathe Little Cory. Shawn got the message and let me take over.

Suddenly Cory burst through the door unannounced and came up to Shawn desperately.

"Shawn, we need to talk."

"Hey to you to Cory," I muttered sarcastically.

Cory waved awkwardly to me. "Hi Maya." Then he turned his attention back to his best friend. "Come on Shawn, I mean this is killing me. My best friend and my girlfriend not speaking. It's just not right."

Shawn rolled his shoulders. "Hey look, it's her problem. The way I see it, I'm just trying to live my life like any normal teenager." Shawn turned to me. "Hey Maya, where's Little Cory's milk bottle?"

"It's in the fridge, just warm it up and I'll feed it to him after his bath," I responded quickly. _Wow, now even I was in this mess._

"Look Shawn, I invited Topanga over," Cory revealed.

Shawn paused in his tracks. "Why would you do that?"

"So that she can see how much the pig means to you and what a great home this is," Cory explained.

_This is not going to end good, _I thought to myself. And I was right.

* * *

When Topanga came over she had left the door open and the pig had escaped when we weren't paying attention. Luckily Mr. Turner was arriving and had seen the pig as he was coming up to the apartment and brought Little Cory back inside the apartment. When Topanga revealed that she had called animal control to take the pig to a farm, Shawn, Cory and and I left to go hide the pig. I suggested we go hide him in Cory's house and we did.

After the animal control guy came to look for the pig, Turner came to the rescue and claimed the pig. It was Topanga's idea. Long story short, we were all saved.

Topanga and Shawn were now in good terms with each other. They considered each other better friends than they were before. Riley had been right about Shawn. She always saw the good in people. That was something I still needed to work on.

Once we arrived home from Cory's place and Turner went to take a shower, Shawn decided it was the perfect time to start asking me more questions about my motivation for helping him all of the sudden.

"Hunter, you need to work on seeing the good in people."

Shawn smirked mischievously. "So it's not just because you like me?"

I scoffed and huffed out a 'no'. I regretted it instantly though because I felt a hard nudge on my ankle and fell into Shawn's arm. Little Cory was learning to be as sneaky and mischievous as Shawn was.

Shawn didn't notice the source of my falling, so he probably assumed I was trying to be promiscuous with him by 'accidentally' falling into him.

Shawn held me back up to my original standing. "You sure you don't like me, Hart?" And this time, he didn't seem like he was trying to be cocky. It was as if he sincerely wanted to know.

I ran a hand over my hair. "Yep, positive. 'Night Hunter." I made a 180 turn and ran straight upstairs and into my room. _That boy would one day be the death of me._

I couldn't be upset with Little Cory though. I had to give him props for trying to help out his best friend. I mean, after all, a pig is a man's best friend.

* * *

**Author's Note: So what'd you think friends? :) Let me know in a review and I'll respond to 'em in my Tumblr Q&amp;A Blog for this chapter next week! :) By the time I got to the last scene I decided to end the chapter there since I've been writing all day and was tired. Hope you guys liked it anyway. :) Follow me on Twitter at MimiFanFic1239 and subscribe to my YouTube channel (Mimi1239) 'cause I make GMW reviews, reactions and predictions videos and I'd love for you guys to check 'em out. ;) After Talk video will be a bit on my channel but the tumblr blog and comic strip links will be available on my Twitter. :)**

**Two important things that I want for you guys to know:**

**1\. For being super super patient with me over the last couple of months, I'm going to have another spoiler contest! :) This time basically anybody can enter and all you have to do is make a suggestion on something you want to happen in the story (leave it as a review and specify that it is for the s3 contest). It can be something like a specific scene or quote that you made up that you want me to include in one of the chapters. I will pick a winner at the end of the season and that person will receive 10 spoilers from me for season 4! :) Hope to see a lot of you enter! :)**

**2\. I want to make a special YouTube video dedicated to you lovely loyal readers. :) All you have to do (in a review) is ask me a 'true or false' question about the story. You can ask multiple questions, ask as many as you want about ANYTHING that has to do with this story. Once I get enough, I will make a video on my channel answering your question with either 'true or false' (so all you Shaya shippers better ask something me something about them lol) and I cannot give any answer but true or false. Therefore, no explanation will be attached to the answer lol. I think this will be fun yet torture for both sides haha. Me forcing to answer big-revealing questions about the story, and you guys only getting a 'true or false' answer lol. ;)**

**Please be sure to participate in these two things! I'm really excited to hear your suggestions/questions! :D Now for the sappy part. I missed you guys so so much! You have no idea! I'll be graduating in exactly a month from today so that's a big thing happening for me. :)**

**And lastly, I have a big surprise for you! Remember the Inkitt Contest which I entered Seven Years in the Nineties in last November? OUR story got into the top 10 percent in the whole contest ranking number 83! I just found out yesterday and we even earned a badge! That's so awesome guys! Couldn't have done it without your support. :) I hope to write another chapter and publish it next week. A lot of things in my life has changed, is changing, and will change very soon. Just know that I owe you guys so much more than you do for me. I don't deserve any of the support that you're giving me, yet you still support me. Thank you A MILLION! :D**

**-Mimi1239**


	44. Anniversary Night

**Hey guys! :) I'm finally a high school graduate! Just thought you needed to know (no I'm jk lol) but seriously, I can't believe it's over. The thing I'll miss most about high school is being able to play in the band. I'll still be coming back to play as an alumni, but it won't be the same. I'm still grateful for the opportunity, though, and can't wait to see what's in store for our newly-formed jazz band. :)**

**Honorable mentions for giving me ideas for this chapter (I really hope I'm not missing anyone, let me know if I did though): mysimplewords, WolfieRed23, Melon-Lord-of-Fire, and Hockey Fanatic 1.**

**Chapter talk: This chapter took me a long time to write. As I've mentioned a long time ago, I've been struggling with writer's block. I hate those words because I struggled with writer's block for 3 years before I wrote this story. In a way, this story (and you guys) brought me out of my writer's block. **

**Since I consider each and every one of you as part of my fanfiction family, let me tell you a little story. I promise it won't be long, and it'd be nice if you read what I'm about to say. I haven't taken this job seriously for the last year. I know I can do better and I will. I haven't been feeling like myself in a year. I knew exactly what I needed to do in order to become myself, and last week I sat down with all of the books that inspired me to write and cried my eyes out. I needed to do that. I remember being in high school and pulling many all-nighters, and if that's what it takes to continue this story, I will do it. I want to be hard working with my stories, and regardless if GMW doesn't get picked up for a 4th season (I'm pushing for it to though, so never say never) this story will continue NO MATTER what. For almost 5 years, I've DREAMED of having my stories published, and over the years I've learned that the only way to success is through hard work. Thank you for listening family. 3**

**Okay, now for the REAL chapter talk lol. This chapter is a spring-board which leads into the NEXT chapter's main dilemma. Does Riley make a good decision by who she trusts? You'll find out next chapter! ;) But read this one too, or else the next chapter won't make sense lol. ;)**

**I'd LOVE to give a shout-out to those who reviewed my previous chapter: maadeleine .ac, PinkDisney240, Guest, An introvert, acat2468, Guest, Melon-Lord-of-Fire, divergentlover5, AliciaMae26, DisneyShipper101, Guest, Guest, Breakawayking57, Nat-Marie and FunFanFicForYou.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World nor its spin-off series Girl Meets World.**

* * *

_I felt bad. I felt bad for everything I had said to Maya._

Riley's Point of View

_**Thursday, December 14th, 1995, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 8:10 A.M**_

I'd celebrated my fourteenth birthday a week ago. The Matthews invited Mr. Feeny and I to their house for a dinner party. They bought me a cake and sang happy birthday to me. Being around my family felt right. Even though they didn't know I was family, they still treated me like I was. I hadn't thought to invite Maya to my birthday gathering. _Okay_, maybe I had. But I hadn't seen much of her (with exception of school) of school in nearly a month! She probably wouldn't have came anyway, I tried to convince myself. She was too busy hanging out with T.K. all the time. To be honest, that was what scared me. I had lost my best friend.

It's been exactly two months and five days since Ricky and I had broken up. It's not easy getting over your first real high school relationship, but as I started spending time with Minkus, I was starting to gradually accept that perhaps Ricky and I were better off as friends than anything else.

Minkus wasn't so bad after all. Sure he was a bit pompous at times but I could tell he was trying hard to work on toning down his ego. He was into Shakespeare, which I liked, and often quoted really long soliloquies from Romeo and Juliet. He impressed me with how much knowledge he could fit into his brain. I only recognized some passages he quoted from Romeo and Juliet from the play I did with Lucas back in the seventh grade. It felt like decades ago since I did that. Well, it kind of was. If that made sense.

Minkus was also a really sweet guy. In each of our study sessions, he'd bring me a different type of flower and explain the meaning to me. Once he brought me a daisy and explained it symbolized innocence and purity, which is how he supposedly remembered me by. Later on, I made the flower connection to _The Great Gatsby_, which had been one of the many classic novels we had to read last year in Mr. Turner's English class. Then I remembered how Ricky and I got paired up to be a married couple and stay in the Matthews' house over a weekend _because _of _The Great Gatsby. __Yep, together forever, _I thought as I twirled the daisy in between my fingers.

I started filling up Feeny's garden with every flower Minkus would give me at every session. Mr. Feeny didn't really mind; he said the more the merrier and he loved his garden. I developed enough confidence over the past couple of months (especially with Maya moving in with Mr. Turner) to help Mr. Feeny tend to his garden. Without Maya around and the lack of a bay window, the garden had become my most favorite place to sit and ponder on my problems. _Sometimes all you're really left with is yourself after all._

School rolled around one week and surprisingly, nothing out of the ordinary had occurred until we got to Thursday. And as usual, with what came with the events of that day, things started spiraling out of control. No biggie.

My head was buried in my locker when I heard students booing behind me at something probably a teacher did. I never got involved with the general public's reaction unless it had something to do with Cory or Shawn. That was the way how things worked.

Since I was within hearing distance to I could hear Shawn's voice in the background say, "you know, Mr. Feeny, just between you and me, it's stuff like this that really makes you unpopular."

My curiosity got the best of me, so I ended up turning around just in time to Mr. Feeny folding a rectangular banner neatly in half. Whatever that banner represented must have been the cause of everybody booing towards our beloved principal.

Mr. Feeny smartly retorted, "sure. And it's lonely at the top. But I save a lot of money on call waiting."

I caught Cory and Shawn sneakily rolling their eyes behind Mr. Feeny's back as he passed them.

It was evident by Shawn's persistence that he did not want to let go whatever Mr. Feeny was against by his next question. "What do you have against throwing an illegal rave?"

Personally, I assumed that the "illegal" part might have had something to do with our principal being against the "rave-promoting" in our school, but that was just me.

Once Mr. Feeny explained to the inexperienced Cory what an illegal rave was, he excused himself and went to his office, but not before throwing the banner in the garbage can (much to Cory and Shawn's dismay).

Topanga came up to the boys moments later to return Cory's ear muffs which he had accidentally left in her house the previous night. I smiled to myself knowing that if there was something that would never change in my parents' relationship it was that they always embraced each other's quirks.

When Topanga left, Shawn asked Cory if he knew where the rave was going to be held at. By the look of Cory's puzzled facial expression, he did not know what Shawn was talking about. I had a similar expression on my face and a bubbling thought in my head. _How would Cory know about the rave?_

Shortly after, Shawn answered this question for us. Eric was apparently hosting the rave, but the funny thing was Cory had no idea that Eric was hosting a rave. Well, it was not really funny considering how distant of a relationship Cory had with his older brother. It was not surprising that Eric would not tell his little freshman brother about a party if he did not want him to be a part of it. Made sense, right?

I had a habit of getting involved in other people's business. It was my thing. That was who I was. Especially when it had to do with my parents and it involved their happiness being put at risk. Now, when it came to something like a party that Cory wanted to go to, I decided to not get involved. Yep, that's right. Eric throwing an illegal rave wasn't going to cause any damage to anybody's life, right? Or so I thought.

* * *

After school, I met up with Minkus at Chubbies to discuss more of Shakespeare's works. This time, we were discussing Hamlet. In the middle of talking about Ophelia's madness and flower significance, (because in the last Act she's in, she hands out flowers to some important characters in the play with a meaning hidden behind each flower) Minkus spontaneously pulled out a violet flower from behind him and handed it to me. I smiled graciously and took it from him.

"Would you like to know why I gave you this flower?" Minkus asked me teasingly.

"Sure, I'd be happy to know."

"You resemble faithfulness and modesty. Ophelia does not have violets to give to anyone, as they were withered when her father died."

I blushed. "Minkus, you know so much about significance and meaning behind romantic and tragic plays. I thought scientists only allowed themselves to look inside a microscope, but you... you look at the bigger picture, Minkus."

Minkus smirked proudly. "Well, my father has always been a romance guy. He admires the theater. That is how he and my mother met."

I was a little taken aback by Minkus' comment. I had no idea Farkle's grandparents were into the theater, but I supposed that explained his great passion for acting.

"So your mom was a theater actress?" I asked excitedly.

"Not precisely. She was a cleaning lady on Broadway. However, once she met my father, he got her a job on the stage. His family owned half of the building. When my father's family found out about their engagement, they disowned my father for they did not want low-income people married into their family's rich history. Then my parents eloped and migrated here to Philadephia."

_That explained why Minkus and Farkle live in New York City in the future. _

"I'm from New York City and I love Broadway. Do you ever think about moving there someday?"

"If you're there, perhaps I might."

* * *

Hours after our study session, I found myself planting the violet into the soil of Mr. Feeny's garden. I grew an attachment to the garden, not just because of the many beautiful flowers Minkus had gifted me, but because of their meaning. Before me laid the opinion of one boy who would one day father one of my closest friends, Farkle Minkus. That was a danger, not only to our future but also to our past. Maya and I would not be remembered for who we were. For who we used to be. For that same reason and fear, I had told Maya that she could not get close to Shawn, and I had told myself I could not be with Ricky anymore. I was only trying to be practical, right? Says the girl who used to believe in unicorns and rainbows. Says the girl who used to live in a place called Rileytown. I was no longer that same girl anymore.

Mr. Feeny had found me laying in his garden in deep thought when he came home from the supermarket buying groceries.

"Miss Matthews? Are you alright?" I raised my head up to see Mr. Feeny's concerned face staring down at me. Realizing that I had subconsciously rested my body on a base of dirt and worms made me jump to my feet and quickly apologize for ruining a piece of his garden (once again).

"Miss Matthews, it is alright. You did not step on any of the plants. Is there anything worrying you at the moment? Excuse me for implying this, but you seem a bit dazed, Miss Matthews."

Now that Mr. Feeny knew a good chunk of our secret, it did not mean it was safe to open up to him about everything going on, for fear that it could alter his timeline. I decided that, at least for now, I would not go into specifics with him about what has been bothering me, but I still sought his wisdom.

"Mr. Feeny, in all of your years of teaching History and Shakespeare, which do you think is most important for making decisions? Listening to your heart, or mind?"

I could tell he knew the answer right away. "Well, in my experience, the mind will always lead you to a secure place. It teaches you sense. But the heart could lead you to paradise, or to your doom. That's sensibility, Miss Matthews. So choose wisely."

* * *

We finished eating dinner earlier than usual that evening, so Mr. Feeny allowed me to go over to the Matthews' place while he read his newspaper peacefully in the garden.

At this point, the Matthews expressed that they considered me family since I came over almost every day. It was a nice feeling considering the fact that I was really family even though they had no idea. Typically, the thought of entering their back door uninvited made me feel like an impolite guest, I forced myself to do it anyway since I could hear Cory and Eric in the living room talking and knowing them, it would take them centuries to let me in.

Eric was usually out with his friend Jason and purposely never got home in time for dinner so he wouldn't have to endure spending 'family time' with his family. I believed it was part of his act of being 'popular' among his friends. It was for that reason why he didn't really know me that well. It was a shame knowing he would eventually turn into my 'dorky uncle' who loved kids. Not being able to get to know the Eric Matthews prior to his goofy-self. Of course, he probably only thought of me as his baby brother's awkward and dorky friend so he probably didn't even know my name.

"...a cruise to Mexico, which means he won't know," echoed Cory's voice into the kitchen where I stood. It felt wrong to eavesdrop but who was I kidding? I was fully aware of what I said earlier that I was not going to get involved in Eric's plan, but I needed to make sure Cory would not get in trouble by being an accomplice to Eric's 'rave on'. My overprotective approach to my father's teenage life made me believe I would be committed one day.

"Aha, so finally we have a place to rave," sounded a much deeper voice, which automatically made me come to the conclusion that it was Eric's.

"Well, of course, because who are we?" Cory asked in a very excited and confident tone as I entered the living room.

Both boys shouted _"The Matthews brothers!" _as they clasped both hands against with each other and pretended to bump heads together, making a _huh!_ sound effect in the process.

All fell into an awkward silence when Cory noticed me standing by the living room door. Eric turned around to stare at me as if I was an intruder.

"Cory, why is your friend here? Did she break in?" Eric asked abruptly. It was in Eric's nature to ask something so boldly about a person while the person was standing at hearing-range from him.

Cory gave Eric a look and brushed him off by asking me, "hey Riley, what's up? How's life? Ya didn't happen to hear anything from our conversation as you were coming in through the kitchen, did ya?"

I figured the only concern they would have about me knowing about their underground party was that I could easily tell Mr. Feeny that they were using Chubbies as their venue without the owner's permission and Mr. Feeny would make darn sure that would not happen.

Eric shot a glare at his less cunning and less mischievous younger brother as he replied, "real smooth, little bro."

Both Matthews brothers then proceeded into involving themselves in a glaring competition with each other. I shifted my own weight on the balls of my feet as I waited awkwardly for them to end their sibling dispute.

Realizing that their glaring competition would not suffice after two minutes past by, I attempted to entice their attention with a soft clear of my throat. It did not work as they continued to encourage more stiffening atmosphere with their never lasting glares.

I mentally excused myself as I tried to make a three-sixty turn but only ended up digging myself into a much deeper hole when the door bell rung and neither Cory or Eric was willing to break eye contact to answer the door.

I supposed Mr. and Mrs. Matthews were unavailable to come to the door as there was no evidence of them being around.

I gave myself an internal push and transposed myself from my spot to the door. _Perhaps I would not regret this later. Only time would determine which of my decisions had been the right ones after all. _

Hesitantly, I laid my hand on the door knob, twisting it lightly before opening it. It was Mr. Lawrence, Topanga's dad. In other words, my future grandfather.

"Hi, Mr. Lawrence!" I exclaimed, trying not to seem nervous around the man my mother would one day grow up never speaking to again.

"Hi, Riley. It's nice seeing you again. Do you know if Mrs. Matthews is home?" he asked as I moved aside to let him in. He walked in and settled down a stringless guitar on with a case on a chair. Just a look at the musical instrument brought me back to Career Day in grade 8 when Topanga's dad came in with a stringless guitar to talk to our class about his job. That had been the day that drastically changed things between Maya and I.

I guess I had been staring at the stringless guitar for a bit too long because I started receiving concerning looks from Topanga's dad. I lifted up my gaze to his and brushed off my sad stare for a smile.

"Hey, Mr. Lawrence!" Cory greeted as he stood behind us. Thankfully he had finally snapped out of his glaring contest with Eric to acknowledge their guest.

Mr. Lawrence looked taken-aback by the form in which Cory chose to greet him. "Ooh, harsh," the middle-aged man commented.

Cory smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that. It's just weird calling my girlfriend's dad by his first name, and not just 'cause it's Jedediah."

It was too late to stop himself now, Cory practically insulted his girlfriend's father. The atmosphere stiffened again, I think even Eric noticed this time too.

Mrs. Matthews came in from the kitchen at an appropriate time to save Cory from sinking his foot in his mouth deeper.

"Oh, Jedediah, let me see it. Let me see it." Mrs. Matthews seemed extremely excited by the stringless guitar Mr. Lawrence had brought over. It was safe to assume the unfinished guitar was meant for Mrs. Matthews, but why would she need a guitar for? Much less, an unfinished one?

Mr. Lawrence matched Mrs. Matthews excitement as he said, "I love this moment." He picked up the guitar and faced it towards Mrs. Matthews for her eyes to see. Her excitement level seemed to drop by a ton since she no longer had a smile on her face.

Mrs. Matthews tried to regain her composure, yet still seemed baffled by the result. "Wow, it's beautiful. And I know Alan'll love it, but in so many ways it doesn't look done."

Mr. Lawrence shrugged shyly. "I know. I spent too much time on the case."

Mrs. Matthews shrugged sadly. "Well, I did say our anniversary's tomorrow." Swiftly, she turned to her sons and said, "Guys, keep Dad out of the kitchen. Mr. Lawrence and I need to discuss reality." Cory's mom paused when she saw me standing next to Cory. "Oh, hi sweetie. Are you planning on staying for dinner?"

It was almost seven o'clock at night, and since I had already eaten dinner with Mr. Feeny, I politely declined her offer.

I smiled brightly. "It's okay Mrs. Matthews, I already ate dinner, but thank you for offering."

Mrs. Matthews gave me a motherly smile. She turned to her boys. "I'll get dinner started right after I finish talking to Mr. Lawrence." The two adults exited out of the living room and into the kitchen, which left me alone with the two Matthews brothers.

After the two adults were out of hearing range, Cory swiftly slapped Eric on his bicep (for lack of a better term). "Eric, how could you plan the rave on the same day as Mom and Dad's anniversary?"

Eric narrowed his eyebrows at his younger brother. "Hey, hey! You're looking at me like I'm inconsiderate. I had no idea when Mom and Dad's anniversary was, so there!"

The rapidness of how Eric could get dumber and dumber every time I saw him was a mystery to all of us. Uncle Eric only came to visit us every once in a while throughout the years, but every time he did, his IQ level seemed to drop with every visit. He called me his 'niche' instead of his 'niece', and didn't believe anything different despite being told countless times that 'niece' was the correct terminology in which he was supposed to refer to me by. At times he would act childlike, except he wasn't so impressionable all the time. But I guess that was what made him so lovable to everybody.

I wanted nothing more than to excuse myself from the situation. I had come in at a bad time and did not want to disrupt anything that could possibly change things in time. _Sneak through the kitchen? No, the adults were there, it would be awkward having to come up with an excuse as to why I needed to leave so abruptly. Especially since my excuse was not one I could ever explain._

My only option was to exit discreetly through the main door. _Good idea, Riles. They wouldn't even notice you_ _left! _

I gasped as I had come to realize something. The voice in my head was sounding a lot like Maya. _Well, because this is not something you'd normally do, Riles! I'm taking over your conscience. Go through the main door, no one will notice. _Wait, wasn't it rude to not say goodbye? _Just do it, Riley!_

I sucked in my breath. As the Matthews brothers argued, I discreetly moved towards the front door. Just as I was about to open it, the door flew open and in came Mr. Matthews and another man carrying in a huge luxurious tub. It took me by surprise, making me screech as I moved to one side to let them pass before they trampled me.

"Hope we didn't scare you, Riley," Mr. Matthews said in a grunt as he and his buddy carried the tub through the living room and up the stairs. "Are you planning on staying for dinner?"

"No thanks, Mr. Matthews, I'll just be going now," I said, about ready to bolt through the door when Cory stepped in front of me.

"Wait, Riley. Can we talk?" Cory asked, urging me with his eyes.

_You're going to regret this later, Riles._ Oh, you!

I nodded in agreement and Cory pulled me upstairs and guided me to his room. Not before his dad made a remark about how he doesn't even let his son have his girlfriend alone with him in his room. Cory just answered, "it's just Riley, Dad!" Funny thing was, his dad agreed.

Cory let me into his room and hastily closed the door behind him.

"You're not gonna tell Feeny about the rave, right?"

I must say, Cory was quick to get to the point.

I was about to respond when I started hearing Maya's voice in my head again. _What would Maya do? Oh wait, I know. Maya would keep her mouth shut and not tell Feeny a thing. You know why? She wants everybody at the rave to have fun. Feeny would just come in and rain on everybody's parade like he always does._

I thought back to how Mr. Feeny ripped off the rave poster and the student body booed him for it. But he was the principal, it was his job to rain on everybody's parade.

_The Riley I know would do what her best friend Maya would do. Wanna know why? She wants to be like her. Always has. Since the day they met._

I finally gave in. "I promise I won't say anything to Feeny. Just don't let the party get too out of hand."

Cory sighed with relief. "Thanks Riles," he said as he opened the door and led me out of his room and back down to the living room. Eric still stood in his same spot biting his nails. "What happened, Eric?"

"It's their twentieth anniversary, Cor."

Cory groaned. "How could we have forgotten?"

Eric started pacing back and forth anxiously. "Well, we weren't at the wedding."

_Oh, really? Was that his only excuse? _Cut it out, Maya!

I felt the longer I stayed there, the harder it would be to leave. _You're not just talking about this situation, are you Riles?_

Ugh! Inside Maya was really starting to annoy me.

For the millionth time that night, I tried to back away to the door. "I better go right now, it's way past my curfew and Mr. Feeny will get worried if I'm not home on time and take my Flintstones vitamins-" the doorbell rung once again. Since I was the closest to the door, I had no choice but to answer it.

In entered a strange man who was relatively below average in height wearing a suit and tie. A large beige coat rested on his shoulders and he wore a black flat cap on his combed-back head. A man with his expensive taste in attire was not something common found around in this neighborhood. He could even outdress Mr. Feeny!

The alarming factor about this strange man was that he stepped inside the house confidently carrying two large suitcases as if he was planning on staying with the Matthews family.

"Hello, hello. Is this by chance the Matthews' residence?" Oh, did I forget to mention he was British? "Ah, wait. Wait. I see it." The man said, settling his two suitcases on the ground as he stared intensely at me like he'd just discovered something fascinating.

"Cory!" I freaked, running behind the taller boy and hiding for dear life.

The strange man didn't seem unfazed that I did that like he'd had people running away from him before. He just continued explaining. "Amy's nose and brow. Alan's eyes and pronounced chin. You must be their daughter."

Cory turned around to face me. Eric was looking at me too.

"She _does _kinda look like Mom, doesn't she, Cor?" Eric said, probably for the first time ever really taking in my appearance.

Cory furrowed his eyebrows at me suspiciously. "And your last name is Matthews, what's that all about?"

_This is your cue to leave now, Riles._

When everybody least expected it, I bolted out of the house. Thankfully nobody followed me. _That was too close, even for you, Riles._

I know, Maya.

* * *

I tried to avoid Cory the next day at school. Things were getting weird when I left his house the previous night, but I knew it was almost impossible not to bump into him once in a while. We had all the same classes!

Surprisingly I hadn't seen Cory at school in any of my morning classes. Maybe he wasn't feeling well? _OR maybe since you left him and his family with that creep yesterday, he probably robbed and murdered the Matthews. It's the only logical explanation. You murdered the Matthews family._

I rolled my eyes as I was hearing Maya's voice in my head in History. Ever since last night, Maya's voice had been bugging me, telling me everything was my fault. Even when things didn't make sense. The real Maya would never blame me for everything that went wrong in our lives. That was why I didn't listen to the voice in my head.

After lunch, I had found Cory glued to the school's telephone talking to someone. He slammed the phone down to end the call from his side in defeat. He looked anxious and was probably sweating buckets. I went over to see what was wrong.

"Hey Cory, are you okay?"

Cory gave me a sad look. "No, Riley. I'm trying to find adults that would be willing to come to my parents' twentieth-anniversary party tonight."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "What about the rave? Isn't that tonight as well?"

"I told Eric to cancel the rave. I gave my parents the impression that the rave we were throwing is supposed to be a party for them. You can come if you want. We need all the bodies we can get."

So Cory was inviting me to my grandparents' twentieth-anniversary party? This was going to be fun!

_Yeah, and when they find out who you really are, it's gonna be a whole lot fun explaining why you lied to them for three years._

I pursed my lips in a tight line. Frankly, I was starting to get extremely annoyed by the unbearable Maya voice in my head.

"If you need more bodies, try getting Mr. Feeny to come. Mr. Turner too," I suggested.

Cory's eyes widened with realization. "You're right! I should invite them, they're practically family. At least that's what I'll tell them to convince them to come." Cory sped to catch up to Mr. Turner who was heading to his fifth period English classroom. I stayed around to watch how things would unfold until I saw that strange man from last night roaming the halls and then I figured it was time for me to head to class.

* * *

That night, Mr. Feeny and I arrived at Chubbies. Mr. Feeny thought it would be a nice gesture if we gifted the Matthews with a baby plant of our own. I agreed that it was a good idea.

Frankie the Enforcer stood outside the entrance acting as the bouncer. Chaos began to erupt as kids started showing up for the party. It was alarming given the fact that I recognized some of the kids from school! What were they doing at an anniversary party anyway? When Frankie finally let us in, Mr. Feeny told me he'd wait until Mr. Turner arrived and that I could go downstairs with the gift.

I carefully yet hastily carried the breakable pot down the stairs, looking down so I'd watch my step. When I arrived at the bottom, I looked up to see a mob of teens. I almost dropped the pot from the shock that wavered my body.

"Riley!" Cory said, pulling me aside. I settled down the pot carefully on one of the table booths. Cory was sweating buckets again and looked extremely nervous. "This party got outta hand. Eric's throwing the rave and my parents are gonna be here any second-"

"Cory! Cory!" Shawn shouted from a distance, entering the room from the kitchen seemingly excited by what was going on in there. "The cheerleaders are chocolate-wrestling in the kitchen," he said out of breath.

Cory scrunched up his nose. "Well, stop 'em!"

A smirk crept up on Shawn's face, though he tried to cover up his mischievous intentions by his soft response. "Oh. Okay, but I'm gonna need a can of whipped cream and a really big spoon."

Shawn intended to walk back to the kitchen but was stopped abruptly by a tug of his shirt by..._Maya?!_

"Not if your life depended on it," the petite blonde said as she fearlessly pushed Shawn back to us.

Maya had her hair tied up in a ponytail. She was wearing a leather jacket with the zipper open, which allowed me to see her t-shirt underneath that said, 'Rock Hard!' She had mini-black-leathered shorts with leggings underneath. To finish off she was wearing some black leathered combat boots. Sure, this was the style I'd been used to seeing Maya in back when we were in the twenty-first century, but something told me that she had changed. She had this dark look in her eye like something wasn't right about her.

My eyes widened with shock. "Maya? You're here too?"

She shrugged as she entered our circle. "Yeah, I'm here. You didn't think I was gonna miss out on my first rave, did you? Besides, Eric needed volunteers to help him throw this. T.K. pulled through too. Most of these guys are her friends."

I scoffed. "Oh, so that explains it."

Maya paused to give me a deathly glare. "What's that supposed to mean, Matthews?"

"Didn't you know this party was meant for Cory's parents?"

She shrugged. "Eric might have told me something about that."

"And you still went ahead with the rave?"

At this point, Cory and Shawn had left before things got ugly between Maya and I. Smart move.

Maya and I were now having a stand-off.

"Yeah, because unlike you, T.K. and I like to have fun."

I nodded, agreeing sarcastically. "Oh yeah. Because crashing my grandparents' anniversary party is _so _much fun, right?" I whispered that last part in case anybody was eavesdropping. "And having all of T.K.'s juvenile delinquent friends involved in this rave is _not_ going to have the police shutting this place down, right?"

Maya shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. "Can't say this isn't the first I'm hearing this from you. Think what you want, Riley. You haven't even _tried _to get to know T.K. She may be a Keiner, but she gets me. I can't really say the same thing for you."

Maya made a one-eighty turn and walked off to a booth filled with teenagers. I had a feeling the booth was filled with T.K. and her crew. Sadly, I couldn't be more right.

I slumped down in an empty booth by myself as I watched Cory jump on stage and make everybody shout 'surprise!' to the next couple that walked into the room. Well, that couple just happened to be Mr. Feeny and Mr. Turner.

I felt bad. I felt bad for everything I had said to Maya. Sure, she was not in her right, but I shouldn't have judged T.K. Maya knew her more than I did, and I was not in the position to judge anybody based on their actions.

I decided I couldn't bear to watch any more of the disaster Cory and Eric created for themselves, so for a while, I rested my head on my arms until I heard someone sit down across from me in my booth. Assuming it was Cory, I lifted my head about to tell him as politely as I could that I wanted to be left but I was shocked to see who had sat down in front of me.

"Stuart?"

"Indeed, that is my name," he said proudly.

I looked around the party room. "How'd you get in? I thought Frankie was only letting in guests from the anniversary party?"

"The kitchen backdoor was not securely locked. Those idiots," he commented rolling his eyes. "I noticed you look particularly gloomy this evening so I thought I'd sit in your presence to ask you what's upsetting you?"

I had had enough study sessions with Stuart to know that he had a way with words. Perhaps it was his love of Shakespeare that made me magically tell him my problems. Oddly enough, it worked for me right now.

Ashamed, I began to tell him. "I might've said something to a friend that I know now I shouldn't have said. I'm a horrible friend. What do I do now?"

Stuart pointed to the flower pot that sat on our table. "Is that your gift?"

I nodded, looking at the flower. "Yeah, Mr. Feeny wanted to give the Matthews something from our garden. It's a violet."

"Why a violet?"

I looked up at Stuart, remembering he had told me the significance of a violet in Hamlet. "A violet signifies modesty and faithfulness."

"Does that ring a bell to you?" Stuart asked tauntingly.

I broke a smile. "Yes, Stuart."

"So that means you wanted to give the Matthews a part of you? Because you are modest and faithful?"

I nodded, not really sure where Stuart was heading with his comments.

"It looks to me like someone who is modest and faithful is not a horrible friend. You're merely growing. Just like the flower. Recall, it's flower talk."

After I thanked Stuart for the encouragement, I got up and went to go find Maya. She was surrounded by a group of teens in her booth. Beside her was T.K. _This was about to get awkward._

"Maya?" I said, waving my hands around the group of teens trying to get Maya's attention. The teens only paused, looked at me up and down and then went back to talking to each other. Maya looked up and from talking to T.K. and got out of her space.

"Yeah?" she said after she finally got to me. She didn't look upset anymore by what I had said, but I still needed to apologize.

"I'm sorry what I said about your friends. I wasn't thinking, I just really want my grandparents to the anniversary they deserve."

Maya nodded. "You know what Riles? I know what you said was out of line, and knowing you, I know you want to protect me. I know you'd never want to hurt me. Give T.K. a chance, I promise she's not a bad influence."

I accepted her offer. In the end, I knew it probably wasn't the best thing to do, but I needed to start giving people chances. Even myself.

Suddenly I heard a song playing that sounded recognizable. It was _My Girl. _I knew it since it had been my parents' song. Apparently, it was also my grandparents' song as well. Hmm.

Mr. Lawrence, Mr. Matthews' friend and that strange man that kept following everyone around had quickly formed a band and began playing that song. People got up from their booths, partnered up and started dancing. Mr. and Mrs. Matthews had arrived a while ago and even they started dancing! Everything was going great!

Almost forgetting about Stuart, I turned around to face my booth to see that Stuart was no longer there. _Hmm, maybe he couldn't stick around? _It was no longer Maya's voice inside my head but my own. Maya tapped me on the shoulder and asked me if I wanted to dance.

"Sure!" I said as we started spinning each other around laughing. I even invited T.K. to dance with us as well so we all danced in a circle to _My Girl. _

Maya swiftly exited our circle, though, when she caught Shawn dancing with a tall blonde in a mini-dress. They began dancing together surprisingly. Maya even looked like she was enjoying herself.

"You know she likes him, right?" T.K.'s words interrupted my thoughts.

I paused my dancing briefly to ask. "Really?"

"Don't worry Matthews, every girl in school falls for Hunter at some point. Give her time, she'll realize her feelings."

I always had a small suspicion that Maya might like Shawn. But I had promised myself that my meddling days were over. _Let's see how long that'll last. _

* * *

**Author's Note: Sadly, the site where I used to create comic strips for each of my chapters has been abruptly taken offline for some unknown reason. When/if the site is up and running again, I will continue to create more comic strips for you guys. Unless you know a site where I can create comic strips, I'll take your suggestions. :) It's a real shame because I've been making comic strips for more than a year and not making them for a chapter feels so weird. Anyway, links to my After Talk for this chapter will be linked in my bio (or just Youtube search Mimi1239 to find my channel). Remember that in the description box of the After Talk video, you will be able to find my blog where I answer your reviews and Wattpad link to this chapter. :)**

**Mini-rant now. If you guys don't know, Rowan deleted her Twitter app yesterday because she received rumors about herself and the cast on how she has 'fake-relationships' with the cast. Ugh. Honestly, I've never had a tolerance for cyberbullying. Attacking a 14 year old girl (attacking ANYBODY for that matter) is not okay and should never be okay. Promote kindness. Spread GirlLove instead guys. Hope you took something out of this. :) Rant over.**

**I wanna thank you guys again for being super patient with me over the last year. Yes, I know I probably have lost a lot of my readers from not updating frequently, but to the people who still read my story, thank you for sticking around. :D I'll see you guys next week with a MAJOR chapter! It's in Maya's AND Riley's POV, and you know how messy that can get lol. Bye guys! :D**

**-Mimi1239**


	45. When the Clock Strikes Twelve

**Hey guys! :) What's up? I turned 18 a couple weeks ago, which was VERY INTERESTING lol. I know it's been a while, but if you haven't checked out my last chapter (there was no notification when it was posted), please do so and let me know what you think of it in a review! :)**

**I MET SABRINA CARPENTER RECENTLY! :O (crying emoji)**

**Anyway, after you read this chapter, PLEASE check the author's note section below the chapter for more details on my current projects and stuff that's been happening in my life. Thanks guys. :)**

**Chapter talk: Okay! So listen up here, I'm actually glad for once that I waited this long to write this chapter. Reason being is that this chapter involves the touchy subject of alcohol, and a couple of weeks ago (*cough cough* sibling) went clubbing for the first time in her life, got drunk and lost her phone. Now, I happen to be one of those preachy people that will say that alcohol isn't good for you and you shouldn't cave into peer pressure. However, I cannot tell you what you can and cannot do, but please think twice before you act upon your decision. But yeah, so someone gets drunk in this chapter. You guys can probably already tell who it is. Oh, and it's New Years. ;)**

**I'd LOVE to give a shout-out to those that reviewed my previous chapter: Queencupcake1522, Guest, Guest, FanFic Lover36, dementedcupcake, joyfish98, M. A. Believer, Lightrose8860, Guest, nevergettingused, lachicarebelde22, nclpalma21, Guest, Hockey Fanatic 1, Guest, Melon-Lord-of-Fire, mysimplewords and ****WolfieRed2!**

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* * *

_It was not an easy answer, and in these cases looking back at my stupidity I wish I had looked towards Feeny for his guidance and wisdom, but right then I only had my own to rely on...and knowing myself I knew things would not end good._

Maya's Point of View

**_Sunday, December 31st, 1995, Philadelphia_**

**_Past time, 10:08 A.M_**

"Hart, this party's gonna be fly! Don't be such a buzz kill. Ya know ya wanna go," T.K. persistently insisted (more like _begged_) on the phone.

I rolled my eyes as I curled the phone cord in Turner's living room around my forefinger. "You really think your brother's rave is gonna be 'fly'. Who even uses 'fly' anymore, that's so...uh...never mind." I caught myself before I said "nineties". It was the little details that could potentially make me slip up and say the wrong thing. It was like whenever Riley would accidentally almost call Cory "dad", or Topanga "mom" (and Lord knows how many times she's done it). Yeah, at least she had people she could almost call her parents. But the point was, I could sense it was more than just carelessness or a slip of forgetfulness that was occurring with Riley because it was happening with me too. We both missed home.

"Hart, ya never make sense. Are ya coming to the rave or what?"

I kicked the couch that sat in front of me with a bit of frustration for my lack of quick decision-making. I'd promised Riley that I'd spend New Year's Eve with her, Shawn and Corpanga (yep, you heard me right). They had invited me to go with them to a New Years Eve party that would be under "parental supervision", and I'd told Riley I'd go because we hadn't been able to spend Christmas together due to a snow storm (that was a downside of moving out that I hadn't anticipated on) and I wanted to make it up to her, but just like how everything with T.K. was spontaneous and last-minute, she had called when she knew Mr. Turner wouldn't be home on a Sunday morning to invite me to her brother's stupid rave.

"I promised Riley I'd go to this New Year's Eve party with her-"

T.K.'s voice cut me off over the phone. "Harvey's parties only come once a year, Hart. I need ya there with me. How many New Year's Eve have ya spent with Riley, all of them?"

I couldn't deny that statement. Ever since I'd met Riley, I'd always made sure to come over to the Matthews place to celebrate New Year's Eve with them. Even during this whole mayhem of being stuck in the past, Riley and I would still spend New Year's Eve together as our tradition. If I chose otherwise for just this one year, would Riley mind? _Of course she would. She's Riley for godsakes! _What better way to avoid crushing Riley's feelings than to not crush them at all? I needed to come up with a lie to not hurt the plant.

"Okay, shut up then if you know the answer," I said with annoyance, rolling my eyes for the millionth time since she called. "What do I tell Mr. Turner?"

"Tell your teacher-daddy that you're not feeling well and ya wanna stay home. He's going out tonight, ain't he?"

"Yeah, but what if he decides to cancel his plans because I told him I'm sick when I'm really not?"

"Ya only tell him that if he asks why ya weren't with Riley," she spoke like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Uh and what am I supposed to tell Riley, genius?"

"That ya can't go 'cause ya ain't feelin' well. Got that, Hart? It ain't that hard."

I was starting to lose my patience on this girl. But it wasn't like T.K. was _forcing_ me to go to this party with her. It would certainly be easier to say no to her than to say no to Riley. Perhaps because knowing T.K. so well now that I knew she would probably end up doing something stupid that I was subconsciously leaning myself towards the idea of having to cancel on Riley in order to protect T.K. from harming herself (and/or others) during her hoodlum of a brother's New Years Eve party. So I guess the question that I needed to ask myself now was would I be doing a heroic act by accompanying my crazy friend to look out for her, to would I be doing a selfish act knowing that Harley's party is most likely gonna be better than the party I had promised Riley I'd go with her to?

It was not an easy answer, and in these cases looking back at my stupidity I wish I had looked towards Feeny for his guidance and wisdom, but right then I only had my own to rely on...and knowing myself I knew things would not end well.

I sighed before answering. "Yeah, I got that T.K. Where do I meet you tonight?"

"At the alleyway. Wear somethin' cute," she mocked me before hanging up.

I immediately felt like dialing T.K. to back out of her plan, but I didn't do that. _Why? I was being a selfish person._

I plopped myself onto the living room's couch to watch some TV. I switched the channel from the show Baywatch (Shawn's favourite show for obvious reasons, one of them spelled _P-A-M-E-L-A A-N-D-E-R-S-O-N_) to a show on MTV called Real World. It was a reality show about a group of teens being put in a house with each other and their lives are documented non-stop. It reminded me a little of the situation Shawn and I were in. Becoming housemates while having to tolerate each other (well, to be fair I needed to tolerate him more than he needed to tolerate me) whilst being teenagers and trying hard not to develop feelings for each other (I mean, that was my struggle but he's a lost cause). Hmm, what an interesting idea that was. Perhaps someone should write a show about that or at least a novel.

My thoughts of meta were quickly dispersed out of my mind when I heard footsteps entering the living room from the hall. I ignored the owner of those footsteps once I realized it was Shawn that had just woken up.

A long yawn sounded behind the couch. "Ah, that air vent is really something," Shawn commented nonchalantly. I followed the sound of his footsteps as they made their way to the kitchen area.

I muted the TV and shifted my body to where I was directly facing him. I rested my left arm over the couch. "What are you talking about, Hunter?"

Shawn had his usual vertically striped red and grey pajama robe. The front string of the robe was untied revealing his black t-shirt with his favourite band, Counting Crows' name plastered on his chest. A pair of red pajama pants hung loosely on his lower torso. _Okay, maybe I shouldn't have focused too much on what he's wearing. Who cares?_

Shawn's response to my question became my nightmare.

"You know, that air vent next to the phone where you were standing minutes ago talking to T.K. has this really nice echo effect."

Anger began to boil up inside of me. _Deny, deny, deny. You can't give him the satisfaction of knowing he can use this against you by telling Mr. Turner. Of knowing that he could ruin your plan to be a wild party girl._

Just as I was ready to threaten Shawn with his life if he was even _thinking_ of snitching on me, he was back to hitting on me again.

"Wanna test it out from my room?" he proposed and I almost gagged. "It's almost like you wanted me to find out about it, right? The Maya I know wouldn't have let this happen."

All while this was going down, Shawn was preparing himself cereal for breakfast.

I rolled my eyes at his cocky comment. "It's more like...I forgot you existed and that's why I didn't think to check the air vents for a freaking echo!"

I was letting my anger get the best of me. I needed to calm down or else he would surely tell Turner about my plan. But then an unexpected thing happened.

"Turner's not gonna hear about it from me, just so you know," Shawn reassured me as he spoon-fed himself his cereal.

"You're not gonna tell Turner what exactly?" _If Shawn thought he was going to be able to trick me into revealing my plan to him when there was a high possibility he was probably lying about the whole air vent echo thing, he would soon be a dead Hunter._

"About your plans with T.K. tonight." _Crap, okay so he did know something._

"What about my plans with her?"

"Harley's New Years Eve party. Now, I don't normally pass up the opportunity to hook up with girls at parties, but I'm gonna have to pass up on Harley's. I hear they're not the safest."

My eyes narrowed suspiciously at him. "And when have you ever cared about safety?"

He paused his cereal-eating to think. "Let's just say if I keep adding to my police record I probably won't be living here for very long. And I like living here."

I huffed. "Is this your way of trying to convince me not to go?"

His smirk made me regret asking. "Nah, I like seeing this badass side of you. In fact, I think it's kinda hot."

I pretended to gag again. "The more you hit on me, the more I get turned off by it, you know that right?"

Shawn avoided my question. "If you go to that party, you know I'll want something in return, right?"

As painful as it was to think about it, I automatically assumed it had something to do with a girl.

"What chick's number do you want?"

He shook his head chuckling. "No Hart, I don't want her number. I want her lips."

I glared at him for his partially misogynistic views. "Isn't that something you can charm your way to get yourself?"

"She's not easy to convince. She's kind of stubborn if you ask me."

* * *

With Mr. Turner's consent, Shawn and I made our way out of the apartment. I mentally went over everything Shawn and I had agreed on. He would go over to the Matthews' place and tell Riley, Cory, and Topanga that I wasn't feeling well and decided to stay home they would go to their party without me. Then on my part, I would meet up with T.K. at the alleyway and we would go to Harley's party. While I was there, I was supposed to look for the girl Shawn told me about and somehow convince her to meet Shawn at the other party before midnight so that they could share a New Years' kiss.

As soon as Shawn and I parted ways and I began to head down the dark alleyway where I would find T.K. at 8:00 P.M. on New Year's Eve, it occurred to me that I was technically being used by two people, and I had little to no benefits in the transaction. First was T.K. who only had asked me to go to the party with her to babysit her. And then there was Shawn, who was only using me to get some girl to kiss him when the clock struck twelve.

It was a chilly night and I still risked wearing short shorts, a crop top, and a leather jacket. Over that I was wearing a jacket and a pair of boots I got from the thrift store. It wasn't much layered clothing considering it was snowing heavily in very cold weather. I wasn't dressed appropriately to be walking outside drenched in snow as I looked for T.K. in the blizzard. But in a way it reminded me of the day Riley and I last had normal lives. The day we fought with our parents and met each other at the bottom of Riley's bay window to run away. It had been snowing that day too.

I trenched my way through the snow as the white cold fluffiness made its way up to my ankles increasing my struggle to move as rapidly as possible to get to T.K. The falling snowflakes attacked my face and continuously blurred my vision even after wiping my eyes every couple of seconds. Eventually, I was able to spot T.K. standing under a roof cover of an abandoned warehouse building, the same building we had vandalized its walls with our artistic drawings months ago.

"Took ya long enough," T.K. muttered impatiently under her old worn-out scarf. She was noticeably covered from head-to-toe wearing an oversized coat that looked to have been "borrowed" from an old homeless person on the street. Was I mentally accusing my friend of stealing a coat from an old defenseless person? I hadn't known her well enough to call her a legitimized criminal despite us hanging out almost daily.

"There was traffic, T.K.," I responded wittily as I shivered in my second-hand boots.

I hadn't been used to doing a lot of destruction in my life with the exception of a little vandalism here and there. But I was more so referring to the _human_ destruction. Only when it came to self-defense, or when I was defending Riley from someone like Martha the Beanstalk. T.K., on the other hand, I didn't know much about her past other than we both had absent parents. I'd vouched for T.K. to Riley that she was a good person. After this wild party, I didn't know if I was going to be sure or not that she was.

"You ready?"

* * *

_So maybe the universe was trying to tell me something. I wasn't sure yet._

Riley's Point of View

_**Sunday, December 31st, 1995, Philadelphia **_

_**Past time, 8:20 P.M**_

Mr. Feeny and I had agreed that he needed a vacation away from the city. Although he insisted that it was no trouble bringing me along with him to his trip to the Bahamas, I wanted to take the opportunity this New Year's Eve to spend it with my friends. After all, there's only so much Smiley Riley one person can handle.

I'd wanted to especially spend the New Year's Eve with Maya. It'd always been our favourite holiday to be together, besides Christmas and Halloween of course.

We'd all agreed to meet up at Cory's house to go to a party. When I arrived there, I was a little disappointed when I saw that Shawn hadn't brought Maya with him.

"Where's Maya?" I asked my future-to-be uncle, feeling a bit concerned over Maya's sudden absence. The four of us (meaning Shawn, Cory, Topanga and I) were all waiting in the Matthews' living room for Shawn's uncle's limousine to pick us up.

Shawn looked at his best friend as he answered, "she said she wasn't feeling well. I think it's a headache, and a party won't do her any good right now."

_A headache? Why wouldn't Maya call me to let me know she wasn't coming beforehand? She knew how worried and over motherly I got over her when she was sick._

"Aw poor Maya!" Topanga commented in a sincere voice.

"Yeah, that's too bad she's gonna be missing all the fun we're gonna have," Cory agreed. As if on cue, a honk sounded outside the house. "Well, that's our ride."

Everybody with the exception of myself started heading out the door.

"I think I should call her right now," I said decisively, extending my arm to reach the Matthews' house phone before Shawn stopped me.

Shawn put his hand over the phone, preventing me from using it. "You don't need to. Maya's fine, she has Mr. Turner there to take care of her."

That made me feel a little less worried, but not entirely. I'd much rather spend my New Year's Eve taking care of Maya than going out to a party without her. With much reluctant-ness, I nodded my head in agreement and we all made our way outside the house and into Shawn's uncle's limo.

* * *

"I can't believe you sent away the limo, Riley," Cory said in disbelief as we all re-entered his living room. Both Cory and Shawn were sulking while Topanga and I tried to remain positive about the situation.

"Shawn's uncle had a dead corpse right behind us and he started to move! Not to offend you Shawn, but what limo carries around dead people?"

"That's because it was a hearse, Riley!" Cory responded, getting a little irritated with me.

Oddly enough, Shawn decided to come to my defense. "Hey, Riley's right Cory. The corpse was moving, Uncle Laslo had to take it back, it's the right thing to do."

Cory flung his arms up dramatically. "Oh sure, take her side, will ya?" Jealousy clearly shown in his voice.

Topanga stepped in. "Gee, guys, it's New Year's Eve. A time to celebrate, not fight."

Cory calmed down, finally listening to his voice of reason. "You know what? You're right, Topanga. And we're gonna make this the best New Year's Eve ever...If we were dead, 'cause then we'd have a ride."

* * *

What ended up happening was that we got on the train with Eric and his supermodel date (crazy, right?) after Eric's car broke down so they had no way of getting to their party so they had no choice but to take the subway with us as we were going towards the same route as they were.

I sat down by myself on the subway apart from the group. If Maya had come, the seat beside me would have been for her, and we would have been together. Except, she wasn't feeling well, so maybe the universe was trying to tell me something. I wasn't sure yet.

After a while of being alone with my thoughts, Eric's supermodel girlfriend decided to sit next to me. It was surprising given that I never pictured someone as pretty and talented as a supermodel would want to sit beside someone as mediocre and average as myself, but she was human too I guess.

"What's your name again?" she asked me in her soft and gentle voice.

"Riley Matthews?" I responded, seemingly intimidated by the blonde. "What's yours?"

"Rebecca-Alexa," she responded with a smile. "Why aren't you sitting with your friends?"

I tried to bring myself to match her smile but couldn't. "I've just been thinking about my best friend who couldn't make it because she's not feeling well. All the fun things she's going to be missing out because she's not here with us."

"So she's important to you?"

"Of course. I wanted to spend some time with her tonight but something tells me she doesn't."

Rebecca-Alexa paused for a moment to think before she said, "you know, supermodels don't usually have real friends. We only pretend we do to make ourselves feel loved and important. If I was lucky enough to have a real best friend like you do, I'd make sure she knew she could make mistakes and I'd still forgive her. Not all best friends are willing to do that."

Perhaps that had been the reason why Maya left me when she did. I'd pushed her away instead of letting her be imperfect. _Had I been the bad friend?_

* * *

Nobody's Point of View

_**Monday, January 1st, 1996, Philadelphia**_

_**Past time, 12:00 A.M.**_

When the clock stuck twelve, Maya Hart was nearly dragged back to Mr. Turner's apartment by T.K.

"Jesus, I can't believe ya got drunk before I could, Hart," T.K. said almost sounding selfish when that wasn't what intended. "I mean, I shoulda warned you that my brother and his friends have a nick for spikin' the punch, but he wasn't supposed to know we were there, ya know?"

Maya didn't answer. T.K. had felt like she was just talking to herself all the way to the apartment while she dragged Maya with her. At the party, she'd found Maya nearly passed out on their couch surrounded by thugs and empty plastic red cups, so like the semi-good friend she was, she immediately took Maya home.

T.K. shook her head as she dragged Maya to her room and settled her down on the bed. "I can't let Harley go to jail for accidentally giving a minor alcohol. I'm sorry I took ya to that party."

"Wa party?" Maya spoke up with a slur.

"When's Turner coming' back? What about Hunter?" T.K. asked, beginning to worry that either of the two would barge into the apartment before T.K. could leave.

Maya changed the subject. "Ya know what pisses me off? Shawn's probably out there right now makin' out with some girl when he shoulda been makin' out with me!"

T.K. slightly chuckled as she gently laid Maya down and put the covers over her while she tucked her in. Maya turned over on her side angrily facing away from T.K.

"I like 'im," Maya pouted whiningly like a young child who didn't get the toy they wanted for Christmas. Moments later she started snoring, indicating that she had passed out again.

T.K. nodded understandingly, even though she knew Maya was already asleep. "Ya, I know ya do Hart. I'll see ya tomorrow."

The short brunette turned off the light switch and closed Maya's bedroom door before showing herself out of the apartment and into the freezing cold New Year night.

* * *

**Author's Note: Did anybody see the 'And then there was Shawn' reference? I know the last POV was a little weird to understand, but I hope it was okay for you guys. Let me know what you guys think of this chapter! :) Did you like it? Did you not like it? What were your favourite parts? I'd really love some feedback from you guys. :)**

**I'm really sorry if this chapter wasn't entirely up to your expectations, but even I have to remind myself that I haven't been consistently writing for a few months and I need time to catch up with the process of this story. I will be editing a lot of this story though (as I'm currently working on something I can't tell you guys yet lol) but I hope you enjoyed this regardless. :)**

**So as some of you guys may already know (if you keep up with my Twitter and YouTube channel), I had started going to University in September of this year. And now ****here it goes: I dropped out of University last month. Not that this should concern any of you guys but myself, but I just wanna put this out there and be truthful with you guys. I've decided to take a year off in order to focus on other things, school can be quite stressful lol. Like I just mentioned, I will be going back to University next year to study English because it's my plan to become a writer.**

**P.S- Answered your reviews from last chapter in a post on my Tumblr so check it out! :) Also the After Talk video for this chapter is on my YouTube channel right now. :) (Mimi1239)**

**I will be updating on a weekly basis. This story and you guys deserve so much more than what I've been giving. Thanks to everybody for waiting. :) I love you! **

**-Mimi1239**


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